Almost everyone will, at some time in their lives, get cramps. Children, adults, or the elderly: it doesn’t really matter what your age, sex, or ethnicity is; you will get cramps. It does, however, get more frequent as you age, and for women, few pains are as pronounced and painful than those that accompany the menstrual cycle.

Muscle cramps happen when the muscles that control your body contract involuntarily and do not relax. The human body has two main types of muscles: voluntary muscles and involuntary muscles. Voluntary muscles are muscles that you can control at will; the muscles in your hands, feet, and neck are examples of them. They are also called skeletal muscles. Involuntary muscles, meanwhile, are usually found in your organs and they act independent of your intervention. Examples of these muscles are those found in your heart, intestines, and blood vessels. Both of these muscle types experience cramping, but the most common (and the one that will be more thoroughly discussed in this article) is the voluntary muscle cramp.

When people feel a sharp pain as their muscle (or a bunch of muscles) involuntarily contracts, it is called a “spasm.” A prolonged and sustained spasm is called a cramp. Muscle cramps do not have a specific duration. Some can be as short as a couple of seconds, while others can last for as long as an hour or more. Some cramps can even recur several times. Usually, the pain is followed by a visible hardening of the muscles involved.

There are different causes of muscle cramps and these causes are the basis for the different muscle cramp categorizations.

Injury cramps usually follow an injury, when the muscle spasms in order to protect, say, a broken bone. The spasm causes you to minimize any movement in the area, stabilizing any injuries you may have incurred in the area. In this case, cramps serve as a reactionary method of the body from injuries.

Vigorous activities may also cause cramps, as well as muscle fatigue. You’re especially susceptible to cramping if you suddenly engage in any activity that you’re not accustomed to. The cramps do not necessarily happen right away; sometimes, they happen an hour, or several hours, later. One reason why vigorous activities cause cramps could be dehydration, when excessive loss of fluids causes a decrease in the blood volume, thereby causing an inadequacy of blood flow in the muscles. The same thing goes for electrolyte loss as well, as electrolytes are responsible for the electrical activity in the muscle. Loss of electrolytes means a decrease in muscle electrical activity, so the muscle does not return to its rest position like it normally does. Likewise, a shift in your body’s fluid due to body conditions or even surgery can cause cramps.

Depletions of certain minerals in the body can also cause cramps. Minerals like calcium and magnesium make your muscles and their nerve endings that much more excitable. Minerals can be depleted via hyperventilation, vomiting in excess, vitamin D deficiency (thereby affecting calcium absorption), or maintaining a diet that is lacking in magnesium and calcium.

Getting cramps can be a really painful experience. Fortunately, getting rid of them is really simple, unless the cramping is due to a more underlying and serious condition.

Massage and stretch your muscle. Stretching and gently massaging the affected muscles can do wonders to get rid of your cramps. Most cramps, especially those in the feet and legs, can be eradicated just by simply standing up and walking. For a cramp in your calf muscle, you can stand a couple of feet away from a wall, and then lean back, placing the forearms against the wall, while you keep your feet firmly planted on the floor. You can also try lying on your back, then pulling your toes up toward your head, keeping the leg as straight as possible.

For cramps involving your hands and fingers, try pressing your hand on the wall with the fingers stretched facing down. In this way, your cramped fingers’ flexor muscles will be stretched.

Apply a warm or cold compress. If the cramp is due to muscle overuse or from a sports injury, then apply a cold compress on the area around the cramp, not on it. A warm compress after the swelling has subsided will promote the circulation of blood in the muscles and ease the pain.

Drink plenty of fluids to replenish lost water and electrolytes. Drinking plenty of fluids (the recommended eight glasses of water per day) will help replenish any fluid you may have lost if the cramp is due to dehydration. Fluids will help your muscles relax and will keep the cells hydrated. You may also need to drink a solution that contains electrolytes, as electrolytes are not found in water.

Have a balanced diet. If you’re lacking calcium, magnesium, or potassium, eating or taking foods rich in them will ensure that you’re getting your daily recommended dietary allowance for the said minerals. Calcium is present in milk, while beans and spinach are rich in magnesium. Apricots, bananas, and raisins can supply you with your potassium needs.

Menstrual Cramps

Cramps are also present in that ever-trying menstrual period in women. During the time when hormones fluctuate, the uterus contracts, and there is increased activity in the uterine muscles, both in terms of the frequency of contractions and contractility.

Like normal cramps, there are certain things women can do to ease or get rid of their menstrual cramps during their menstruation cycle.

Get an over-the-counter pain reliever. Pain relievers with ibuprofen or aspirin can help in relieving the pain of menstrual cramps. There are also medicines specifically made for menstrual cramps, such as Midol or Pamprin. Be sure that you only get the correct dosage, though; when in doubt, consult your physician. Taking more than the recommended dose can cause damage to your liver and stomach lining.

Raise your endorphin levels: exercise. Don’t engage in anything serious or hectic, though. Just light exercises will do. Yoga stretching or a light cardio exercise can get the blood pumping and stretch out your tense muscles. The activities will also cause your body to release endorphins, which are usually associated with pain relievers.

You can also do an exercise to stretch your pelvic muscles. Stand with your legs spread far apart, beyond the shoulder width, forming a triangle. Bend sideways to reach your ankle with the corresponding hand while holding your other arm up in the air. Continue doing this several times.

Drink tea and water. As mentioned before, proper hydration will keep your muscles from cramping easily. Hydration will also keep you feeling well, even if bloated. The tea also has herbal elements that can help relieve some of the menstrual pain you’re feeling, along with the satisfying warmth of the liquid itself.

Apply heat compress. Usually, the parts of the body that are most affected by menstrual cramps are the lower back and the abdomen. Applying a heat compress directly on them will help you deal with the pain. Saunas as well as a hot bath are also effective methods.

As always, it’s better to just prevent cramps from developing (unless it’s the menstrual kind, in which case, you’ll get it no matter what you do). Keep yourself properly hydrated, but most important of all, do some stretching before you engage in any strenuous or unaccustomed physical activity. The key is to condition your muscles, preventing them from being caught unawares.