what is a charley horse?
A charley horse refers to a muscle cramp that involves a sudden, uncontrolled contraction of a muscle. This type of pain is most commonly experienced in the legs, and therefore often called a leg cramp or a "charley horse."Leg cramps occur when the muscle suddenly and forcefully contracts. The most common muscles to contract in this manner are muscles that cross two joints. These muscles include the calf (crossing the ankle and knee), the hamstring (crossing the knee and hip), and the quadriceps (also crossing the knee and hip).Leg cramps usually last less than one minute, but may last several minutes before the contraction subsides. In some patients, the leg cramps occur primarily at night, and can awaken the patient from sleep.To relieve a charley horse, massage the cramped muscle, gently stretch the muscle, and try taking a hot shower or bath to warm and relax the muscle.
Charley horse is a common metaphor for cramps or muscles spasms that occur in the legs. These are sudden and very painful and typically occur most often at night. They are usually the result of a few different things, including overuse of the muscles, poor mineral intake, or dehydration. Muscle spasms can occur anywhere, but most identify the charley horse as painful contractions of muscles in the calves or the thighs. When people get a charley horse, taking deep breaths and relaxing may help the symptoms subside in a few minutes. Other times, people will have one of these cramps and it will last longer. In some cases when the muscle stays contracted, you can actually feel a lump under the skin. If you can manage it, massaging this lump will sometimes help the muscle or muscles to relax, though the pain of a charley horse can be so significant, this may be impossible at first. Typical charley horses may be so painful that they’ll wake people up at night or prevent getting to sleep. For
