Almost all of us have experienced stiffness in the muscles at least once in our lives while walking, running or playing a sport. Cramping occurs when a muscle is injured or overused. It also occurs when you are low in calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium or if there is a lack of fluids. You need to increase circulation immediately when you get a muscle cramp. You should help the muscle to relax.
The first thing you need to do is to stop whatever activity you are doing. Then, you should stretch and massage the affected muscle. Heat will relax the muscle initially but ice can also be helpful after the pain has passed. Lingering soreness will be alleviated with an ice pack. Circulation can be improved with a relaxing exercise as well as repeated and alternate contracting. The release of lactic acid also helps. If the muscle is still in pain, you can get instant relief with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Dehydration is the most common cause of muscle cramps. It can really help if you drink a lot of water, sports drink, coconut water or eat a banana in order to increase the levels of minerals your body needs. Potassium is one of the important minerals that you should maintain, and it can be restored with fruits like oranges and bananas or with electrolyte drinks, fresh fruit juices and vegetables. Once you get relief from the administered first aid, you should look for the cause of the pain so that it wouldn’t happen again.
