The scientific name for cramps is painful muscle spasms, which are involuntary, tonic contractions of the muscles. Muscle cramps that occur in the calves and toes are the most common, with episodes of unbearable pain and a feeling of stiffness. Especially in the middle of the night, cramps often last for a long time without relief and affect sleep. There are various reasons for cramps. 1, the most common is normal physiological cramps. Almost everyone has experienced this at some point in their life experience. For example, exercising in a cold environment in winter, inadequate preparation activities, or swimming in summer when the water temperature is low, can easily cause leg cramps. Sleeping without the covers, the calf muscles are stimulated by the cold and cramps painful wake up. 2, strenuous exercise. The whole body is in a state of tension, the leg muscles contract too quickly, the relaxation time is too short, the local metabolites lactic acid increased, the muscle contraction and relaxation is difficult to coordinate, thus causing calf muscle cramps. 3, sweating too much. Exercise for a long time, exercise, sweating, and no timely replenishment of salt, a large loss of body fluid and electrolytes, metabolic waste accumulation, poor local blood circulation of the muscle, also prone to spasm. 4, excessive fatigue. When long-distance travel, climbing, climbing high, calf muscle fatigue is most likely to occur. Because each ascent, is a foot to support the weight of the whole body, the muscle of this leg to lift the foot required force will be six times the weight of the person, when it fatigues to a certain extent, spasm will occur. 5, calcium deficiency. In the process of muscle contraction, calcium ions play an important role. When the concentration of calcium ions in the blood is too low, the muscles are easily excited and cramped. The main cause of cramps in pregnant women is calcium deficiency. Adolescents grow rapidly and are prone to calcium deficiency, so leg cramps often occur. Older women with declining estrogen levels and osteoporosis can also have low blood calcium, and cramps often occur due to increased muscle stress. If you have a cramp in your fingers, you should make a fist, then open it with force and repeat the action until you recover.) When a cramp occurs, do not panic, but immediately stand up the leg with the cramp, and the cramp will subside. If it does not subside, just “do the opposite”, that is, move your toes in the opposite direction of the force and insist on the member ~ round minutes or more, you can get results. Specifically, if the back of the calf muscle cramps, you can wrench the foot on the one hand to make the foot up, on the other hand, try to straighten the knee joint; when the front of the calf muscle cramps, you can press the foot and force wrench flexion toes. At the same time massage the affected part, available push, knead, pinch and buckle method, so that the cramp phenomenon subsides. When the palm of the hand cramps, the two palms together, the palm of the non-cramped hand forcefully press the cramped palm backward bend, and then release, repeat the action until recovery.) Five suggestions to prevent cramps 1. Drive cold and keep warm. Pay attention to the cold environment to keep warm, especially during the change of seasons, it is necessary to increase and decrease clothes according to the temperature to prevent the body from getting cold. The habit of soaking your feet before going to bed, soaking your feet in hot water at about 40°C for 15-20 minutes every day before going to bed, can promote peripheral blood circulation, relax the tendons and blood, and relieve the role of spasm. 2, scientific exercise. Do sufficient preparatory activities and stretching exercises before exercise. Let all parts of the body are active, so that the blood circulation of the lower limbs, and then participate in various sports or competitions, you can avoid leg cramps. When the upper arm cramps cramp hand first clenched fist, then the small arm flexed shoulder, and then extend the arm and palm, repeat the action until recovery.) 3.Replenish fluids. If you have a lot of activity, you should replenish fluids to avoid dehydration, but do not overdo it. Too much fluid can dilute the concentration of sodium in the blood, and this can lead to a variety of problems, including muscle cramps. In the hot environment when working, labor or exercise, should drink more salt water or sports drinks; can not drink plain water, because drinking plain water not only can not increase the sodium content, but more will be washed down. 4, the combination of work and rest. When the body is overly tired, pay attention to rest. Walking or exercise time should not be too long. 5, appropriate calcium supplementation. Meals to use high calcium content and beneficial to the nutritional balance of fresh food, such as milk, a glass of milk before bedtime has obvious therapeutic effect; eat some soy products or shrimp, kelp, etc., can also be supplemented with calcium; at the same time, pay attention to eat more food containing vitamins.