Cramps - involuntary contractions of the muscle (any muscle) and can really hurt due to a high degree of contraction where the muscle remains contracted for a few seconds.

Muscle cramps are sometimes referred to as the Charley Horse. Why do we get them? How? There are actually a number of causes of muscle cramps. If you are dehydrated or lacking certain minerals such as calcium or potassium, then, you may be prone to getting cramps in your muscles. Many people, men and women, get muscle cramps usually in the large muscles of the thigh, or the calf muscles. There’s no special call, even the biggest of men or the fittest of athletes can collapse due to cramps. Have you seen Justine Henin wincing in pain during her tennis match against Lindsay Davenport at the Australian Open in Jan. 2003? She suffered a leg cramp that brought her down to the ground wincing in so much pain. Tennis players and other athletes in many other sporting events, or even workers, may experience Charley Horse because when you sweat, your body loses salts and become dehydrated. Lack of blood flow to a certain muscle making it unable to receive enough oxygen can also cause cramps during a heavy exercise. Even when you’re just lying in bed, it can strike at any moment while stretching and you feel a spasm in your leg or foot.

To deal with muscle cramps and to relieve the cramping, one must stretch the muscle in the opposite direction of the contraction in order to get the muscle back to its relaxed state. Massage can also help. So, before you indulge yourself in any kinds of heavy exercise or activities, be sure to stretch yourself first and be properly rehydrated in order to stay out of this muscle cramp business. Enjoy what you’re doing! Enjoy your game!