Should you rub a muscle cramp? Or leave it alone to "run it's painful course?"!!?
468380
rub it; as a part-time personal trainer & former college athlete, trust me when I say I've dealt with quite a few muscle cramps! it also helps if you use something like Tiger Balm that heats the area and helps reduce the pain.
951620
Cramp is caused by a build up of lactic acid in the muscle.  The way to stop it is to stop exercise until the blood clears the lactic acid away from the muscles.
714299
You could use a heating pad, or take a hot bath.  This will help relax the muscles ease the pain of the cramps.  Good luck.
187092
I would use a heating pad and massage. You can avoid this by warming up before stretching or exercising. Drink a lot of water.
902891
HAHAHA these answers are great!! :) Uh i say just go to the doc and say ur feeling these bad cramps and your tummys uneasy.. and u in alot of pain! Dont do or take anything, just keep a straight face! Good luck! Hope your day off is good! :)
851009
This sounds very familiar to me!  The same thing happened to me in my pregnancies #2 and #3.  Here's what my doctor advised me:  first, the cramps are a sign that your body needs more potassium.  Eat more bananas; that will help restore the missing potassium to your body.  Second, when you get into bed and the cramps start, what you do is (this may be hard to describe in written words; wish I could just show you how) straighten the cramping leg all the way out, while pulling your toes in, toward you.  In other words, you want to straighten your leg, pushing your heel "out" as far as you can while pulling your toes "in" as far as you can.  Hold that for a few seconds, until the cramp goes away.  This works; I know it did for me.
807499
i agree with starrwood that it may be a blood clot, it sounds like it.  \n\nor, do you run?  maybe you pulled a tendon.  go to a sports medicine doctor for analysis.  but ask your family physician first because she may think you should get it analyzed first to see if it IS a blood clot, which may become quite dangerous.  it could come loose and go to your heart or brain and kill you if you have one.  \n\notherwise, what i am really thinking is that perhaps you mean a leg cramp (???)  a lot of people get leg cramps at night.  sometimes they are in the foot, curling the toes so painfully.  then it jumps to the other foot (or leg), so that both of them hurt.  it happens so fast!  it's very interesting, and i do not know why the cramping, very painful, would first come to one leg (foot), then be shared in equal measure so fast with the other one!  \n\nfor my leg cramps i take an old-fashioned prescriptive drug called quinine glutamate.  quinine is also found in most brands of tonic water.  tonic water is sold where soda pops are found at the grocery store.  sometimes tonic water with quinine helps this cramping problem.  with me, it does not.  but i do not ALWAYS get leg cramps, so i only use the pills when needed.  \n\nthis drug is thought of these days as "not formulary," which only means that the pharmaceutical companies are in charge of what things the doctors see viable for curing your ills.  in addition, the insurance companies are in cahoots with the pharmaceutical companies, so watch out.\n\nquinine is the best cure for malaria, but i do not know exactly why it also works for leg cramps.\n\ni hope you feel better soon.  make sure it is not a blood clot first.
316174
Stretch for at least 15 minutes before hand and hold each stretch for a 15 second count. You may want to take up yoga which is excellent for increasing flexability and will also increase your muscle strength all of which will help to curb cramping. dont forget to stay hydrated!
795690
If you are just feeling sore and your muscles are somewhat tight, then what you need to do is stretch, for a good 20-30 minutes, two to three times a day. Your muscles aren't used to exerting themselves so much, and for the first 2-3 weeks, your body is going to be sore because it is re-adjusting to the new you-congratulations by the way! You should be working through the sore muscles, and this will only be for the first 2-3 weeks. Unless this pain is real pain, like keeping you from being able to move, etc. because then you may have torn a muscle, in which case you should go to the doctor. But soreness is a good sign when starting to exercise, b/c that means it's working! Keep up the hard work! :)
335070
You shouldn't.. a spasm is a protective reflex which your body does to prevent furthur damage of your muscle tissues. When you have overworked or strained a muscle, the tissues get damaged thereby stimulating pain receptors, this is why that particular muscle hurts. this pain stimulation is to keep you from further use of the muscle and in turn furthur damage to the tissues, therefore you end up giving it time to heal.
1013520
Your muscles are tired from the day.  Massage your muscles before and after you run, and don't forget to stretch before and after as well.\n\nLow potassium or high sodium are also linked to cramping.  A little less salt, and more bananas and you should be fine.
904423
hey, ball-sy question to ask but...\ni USED to hold it too long and ended up get frequent pains? down there? \nanyways, my friend, too said she used to do this, but she actually ended up getting a bladder INFECTION! so, after hearing this, of course i don't hold it too long. \nIts understandable sometimes, but i would suggest not doing this regularly!\n;)
785423
Get your EKG done.  Surely not a muscle sore, as the pain would have been of  a continuous type and more with further exertion.  Although the pain you describe does not conform to an anginal pain, it would be in your interest to get the EKG done so as to rule out this problem and cut down on your weight and start doing aerobic exercises regularly.
657597
i would suggest going to a doctor.  you may have strained a muscle or something worse but go soon
377823
You can go to a doc.  and have it either frozen off or burned off.  In either case, that will hurt like hell at first, be uncomforatable for awhile, then feel better later.
536597
Potassium helps with leg cramps sometimes.  Eat bananas or get some pills...
226748
It is an old wives tale. The oly way it could really harm you is if you're a competitive swimmer, and you eat a big meal. Then you risk cramping.