Muscle cramp

Cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful muscle contraction or spasm. Idiopathic cramps are common. About 80% of cramps involve the quadriceps muscle located in the back of the calf. The average duration of a cramp is 8-9 minutes for adults and 2 minutes for children. The duration of a cramp can be reduced by actively or passively stretching the affected muscle. Only a quarter of cases of cramps are related to other conditions or diseases. Cramps are more common in pregnant women, during stretching exercises, in dialysis patients, and in patients with liver cirrhosis. Benign cramps often start at night.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology