The pain caused by cramps is usually a grade 3 to 4 pain, where the grade of pain refers to the general patient’s perception of pain. Because pain perception may vary greatly from patient to patient, some patients may feel less pain while others may feel very severe pain if the same cramp occurs. For example, there are women, especially older women, who have a high tolerance for pain. Such patients often describe only localized muscle tension and no significant pain when cramps occur. Some young men, on the other hand, tend to be less tolerant of pain. Such patients often describe very intense soreness or even a stabbing pain when cramps occur. Therefore, when it comes to judging the pain caused by cramps, it may be greater. However, for the vast majority of patients, the grade of pain caused by such lesions is probably between about grade 3 and 4.