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Lizzie
United Kingdom
56 Posts |
 Posted - 04/02/2007 : 08:15:48
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Having had a weekend of gentle improvement with regard to back and neck issues, I noticed my old annoyance of cramp is being more virulent today. I have suffered regularly with cramp since I was a child and can get cramp in my feet and legs and hands but more worryingly in my ribs and neck. Now cramp in my neck always makes me anxious as this along with my back is a site of my TMS normally. I also used to occasionally take quinine to ease cramp but in recent months this has had no effect! Can cramp be TMS? Has anyone else found this?
Lizzie |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 09:08:41
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Here's everything thing you wanted to know about cramps Lizzie from a quick google search. Yes, cramps can be TMS along with most anything else. They mirror Dr. Sarno's explanation of slight oxygen deprivation causeing excrusciating pain. Note the sentence I hi-lited in bold.
Good Luck.
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from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons site:
"AAOS Home
Muscle Cramp
Have you ever experienced a "charley horse"? If yes, you probably still remember the sudden, tight and intense pain caused by a muscle locked in spasm. A cramp is an involuntary and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. Cramps can affect any muscle under your voluntary control (skeletal muscle). Muscles that span two joints are most prone to cramping. Cramps can involve part or all of a muscle, or several muscles in a group. The most commonly affected muscle groups are:
Back of lower leg/calf (gastrocnemius).
Back of thigh (hamstrings).
Front of thigh (quadriceps).
Cramps in the feet, hands, arms, abdomen and along the rib cage are also very common. Muscle cramps range in intensity from a slight tic to agonizing pain. A cramping muscle may feel hard to the touch and/or appear visibly distorted or twitch beneath the skin. A cramp can last a few seconds to 15 minutes or longer. It might recur multiple times before it goes away.
Why cramps happen
Although the exact cause of muscle cramps is unknown (idiopathic), [emphasis tt] some researchers believe inadequate stretching and muscle fatigue leads to abnormalities in mechanisms that control muscle contraction. Other factors may also be involved, including exercising or working in intense heat, dehydration and depletion of salt and minerals (electrolytes).
Stretching and muscle fatigue: Muscles are bundles of fibers that contract and expand to produce movement. A regular program of stretching lengthens muscle fibers so they can contract and tighten more vigorously when you exercise. When your body is poorly conditioned, you are more likely to experience muscle fatigue, which can alter spinal neural reflex activity. Overexertion depletes a muscle's oxygen supply, leading to build up of waste product and spasm. When a cramp begins, the spinal cord stimulates the muscle to keep contracting.
Heat, dehydration and electrolyte depletion: Muscle cramps are more likely when you exercise in hot weather because sweat drains your body's fluids, salt and minerals (i.e., potassium, magnesium and calcium). Loss of these nutrients may also cause a muscle to spasm.
Who gets cramps
Just about everyone will experience a muscle cramp sometime in life. It can happen while you play tennis or golf, bowl, swim or do any exercise. It can also happen while you sit, walk or even just sleep. Sometimes the slightest movement that shortens a muscle can trigger a cramp.
Some people are pre-disposed to muscle cramps and get them regularly with any physical exertion. Those at greatest risk for cramps and other ailments related to excess heat include infants and young children, people over age 65, and those who are ill, overweight, overexert during work or exercise, or take drugs or certain medications. Muscle cramps are very common among endurance athletes (i.e., marathon runners and triathletes) and older people who perform strenuous physical activities.
Athletes are more likely to get cramps in the preseason when the body is not conditioned and therefore more subject to fatigue. Cramps often develop near the end of intense or prolonged exercise, or the night after.
Older people are more susceptible to muscle cramps due to normal muscle loss (atrophy) that begins in the mid-40s and accelerates with inactivity. As you age, your muscles cannot work as hard or as quickly as they used to. The body also loses some of its sense of thirst and its ability to sense and respond to changes in temperature.
Treatment and prevention Cramps usually go away on their own without seeing a doctor. Self-care:
Stop doing whatever activity triggered the cramp.
Gently stretch and massage the cramping muscle, holding it in stretched position until the cramp stops.
Apply heat to tense/tight muscles, or cold to sore/tender muscles.
To avoid future cramps, work toward better overall fitness. Do regular flexibility exercises before and after you work out to stretch muscle groups most prone to cramping. Always warm up before stretching.
Calf muscle stretch: In a standing lunge with both feet pointed forward, straighten the rear leg. (Repeat with opposite leg.)
Hamstring muscle stretch: Sit with one leg folded in and the other straight out, foot upright and toes and ankle relaxed. Lean forward slightly, touch foot of straightened leg. (Repeat with opposite leg.)
Quadriceps muscle stretch: While standing, hold top of foot with opposite hand and gently pull heel toward buttocks. (Repeat with opposite leg.)
Hold each stretch briefly, then release. Never stretch to the point of pain.
To prevent cramps, you should also keep your body adequately hydrated. Children especially often do not drink enough liquids to replenish fluid lost during exercise. Some tips:
Drink water at regular intervals, before you get thirsty.
Drink more than your thirst requires.
Drink fruit juice or a sports beverage if you are working in heat or swblood test to rule out diseases."
eating for more than an hour.
When to see the doctor
Although most muscle cramps are benign, sometimes they can indicate a serious medical condition. See your doctor if cramps are severe, happen frequently, respond poorly to simple treatments or are not related to obvious causes like strenuous exercise. You could have problems with circulation, nerves, metabolism, hormones, medications or nutrition. Muscle cramps may be a minor part of many conditions such as Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), spinal nerve irritation or compression (radiculopathy), hardening of the arteries, narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis), thyroid disease, chronic infections and cirrhosis of the liver.
Give the doctor your medical history including details about allergies, illnesses, injuries, surgeries, and medications. How long have you experienced cramps? Is there a family history of the problem? Do your cramps occur only after exercise, or do they happen while at rest? Does stretching relieve the cramps? Do you have muscle weakness or other symptoms? Your doctor may want to take a routine
some of my favorite excerpts from 'TDM' : http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
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Edited by - tennis tom on 04/02/2007 09:15:51 |
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Lizzie
United Kingdom
56 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 15:00:50
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Thanks TT I needed the encouragement. Today I only have cramp in my neck so that in itself I suppose is suspicious of TMS and any other place I get cramp I ignore.
Lizzie |
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Lizzie
United Kingdom
56 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 15:03:38
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Thanks TT I needed the encouragement. Today I only have cramp in my neck so that in itself I suppose is suspicious of TMS as any other place I get cramp I ignore, so I asuppose there is no point in the brain targeting these areas. I shall try to ignore it.
Lizzie |
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phyllis
United Kingdom
46 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2007 : 05:18:43
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I had cramp a lot at the end of last year.
I have found stretching to be the best thing ever. There are plenty of web sites.
Look for calf and achilles stretches. Always do them when you are warm. I have been doing them twice a day for about three months and my legs feel looser. In bed before I get up I lie on my back with legs straight and bring my two feet up so they form a right angle with the ankle. Hold for about ten seconds, relax and then repeat twice. Apparently this gets your blood circulating.
Do all stretches gently and gradually increase intensity.
If you go for a walk or bike or climb stairs, do them again - gently.
I GUARANTEE THEY WORK and let's face it you do not need medication!
I have not had cramp in my calves for about two months at night now.
It used to be excruciating.
Also I friend of mine went to the doctor with cramp and he prescribed Indian Tonic Water as it has quinine in it. It works too, but again I don't a glass a day like I used to. I have about one glass a week so it must be the stretches.
Must go - have to do MY stretches!
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Singer_Artist
USA
1516 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2007 : 08:17:19
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Thanx for that reply, Tom..that reply to Lizzie was very helpful..I often wonder if I am dealing with cramps in that upper right area of my neck and the back of my skull..I am stretching more and trying to fully regain range of motion lost in previous injuries and many years of TMS...I have noticed it tighten further in repsonse to emotional upset..But sometimes i still fear there is something going on up there..why just that spot..That is the same spot that got hurt a couple of years ago with that bad chiro adjustment..It just never went fully back to normal and has a tendency to tighten very easily..It's a big area, not just the right upper neck but the whole back of my head..My doc friend told me there are muscles back there too..IT doesn't feel like there are muscles there because the skull bones are so close to the surface...
Take care,
Karen |
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Cramp and TMS
