Bethany Mendoza's List: Cramps

• • overview of muscle cramps
• • muscle cramp are very common, hardening of a muscle
• A muscle  that involuntarily contracts without our consciously willing it is called a  "spasm." If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it becomes a cramp. A muscle  cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax.
• Muscle cramps cause a visible or palpable hardening of the involved muscle.
• Muscle cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to a quarter of an hour or  occasionally longer.
• Muscle cramps are  extremely common,

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• • tight, hard and extremely hard feeling

  • causes of muscle cramps, reasons for disruption in homeostasis

• You could be out for a run or drifting off to sleep when it happens: The muscles of your calf or foot suddenly become hard, tight, and extremely painful. You are having a muscle cramp.

   

  Sometimes called charley horses -- particularly when they are in the calf muscles

• • Picture of cramping calf muscle
• Most often they occur in the calf muscles.
• Cramps are generally the contracted state of a muscle when it can’t relax

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• • how to prevent muscle cramps

  • picture of man with cramp

• • dehydration is often to blame.

  • preventing cramps
    
• • Muscle cramps: When your leg muscles cramp up on you, dehydration is often to blame, McCall says.
   
   

   

• • pic of runner with water

• • what causes muscle cramps

  • video
    

• • infographic of drinking water

• • alleviating muscle cramps
• • alleviating pain of muscle cramps

• • infograph