1. What is it?
A muscle cramp is a painful, sustained contraction of a muscle.
2. What are the causes/predisposing factors of this condition?
Multifactoral in nature, there can be many causes or combinations of causes. These include: excessive muscular stress or fatigue, electrolyte or mineral imbalance, dehydration and inadequate blood circulation to the muscle.
3. What are the symptoms?
There is a sudden pain and tightness in the involved muscle. The muscle can feel hard and knotted up.
4. What can be done to prevent or treat this condition?
Treatment consists of: gentle stretching, massage or acupressure, hot or cold pack application and rehydration with the proper electrolyte concentration.