How to Treat and/or Prevent a Charley Horse (leg cramp)

If you have ever experienced a Charley Horse (or leg cramp) then you know it can be an excruciating experience. A severe Charley Horse can make a grown man cry.

A Charley Horse (or leg cramp) is a sudden uncontrolled muscle cramp. It most often happens in the leg (calf muscle) and will generally last a minute in most cases but can also last several minutes before the muscle contraction subsides in severe cases.

Some common causes of Charley Horses (or leg cramps) are muscle fatigue, heavy exercising, dehydration, an electrolyte imbalance and even certain medications can cause leg cramps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• water
• warm bath
• idea of what causes charley horses (leg cramps)
• gentle massage of leg cramp
• stretching

1. To prevent a Charley Horse it is important that you stay hydrated. So that means you need to drink water. The recommended amount of water to drink each day is roughly about 3 full glasses (about 8oz each glass). If possible drink one glass before going to bed at night unless it will greatly disturb your sleep.

2. Try to stretch on a regular basis. Stretching will help keep the muscles relaxed and will be instrumental in reducing the amount of Charley Horses (or leg cramps) that you might get. Make sure to stretch before a work-out (or exercise program) and it's just as important to cool down after your exercise routine is done. Make sure you don't do any heavy exercise right before going to bed.

3. Avoid any sudden increase in activity. Don't decide that you are going to start a walking routine and jump right into walking like you are doing a marathon. Start out slowly and increase each week by 10%. This rule of thumb is good for any activity you plan on doing.

4. If you happen to get a Charley Horse the best remedy is to stretch the affected area and then massage it in a circular motion using very mild pressure. Squeezing the area will also work if massaging is too painful.

Tips & Warnings

• if you experience a Charley Horse the best thing to do is massage the cramp or stretch the muscle very gently
• a warm bath will also relax the muscle if the massaging and stretching still leave the affected cramp area sore
• If you find that Charley Horses (or leg cramps) seem to be persistent you might need to consult with your doctor. It could be caused by an imbalance in your electrolytes which your doctor can easily diagnosis.
• Your doctor can also prescribe a muscle relaxing medication if Charley Horses (leg cramps) are a problem at night

[wrywatcher]

on 3/5/2010 This is good to know. I often get these and they are very aggravating and painful. Thanks for your information on how to ease charley hrses!

[armentrout93]

on 3/3/2010 Great article. I have heard that valerian root also relaxes muscles also. 5*

[melissa0024]

on 2/24/2010 A very well written article on How to Treat and/or Prevent a Charley Horse (leg cramp)! Water is the key! 5*

[knowledgablejen]

on 2/12/2010 These are useful tips. I suffered from them at night when I was pregnant and my Dr told me to drink more water too. 5*

[SarahRobinson]

on 1/21/2010 Good to know! Thanks for the information.