https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-cramp/symptoms-causes/syc-20350820
A muscle cramp is a sudden, unexpected tightening of one or more muscles. Sometimes called a charley horse, a muscle cramp can be very painful. Exercising or working hard, especially in heat, can lead to muscle cramps. Some medicines and illnesses also might cause muscle cramps. Muscle cramps aren't usually harmful.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/muscle-spasms-muscle-cramps
Muscle spasms (muscle cramps) are painful contractions and tightening of your muscles. They're common, involuntary and unpredictable. Although there are steps you can take to prevent a muscle spasm and treat it when it attacks, those methods aren't always dependable.

https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/pain/causes-of-muscle-cramps/
Overuse/general muscle fatigue, which can be caused by standing or exercising too long, putting extra pressure on your leg muscles. Being active in hot weather. Lack of proper warm-up or stretching post exercise. Kidney or thyroid disorder (affects fluid levels) Diabetes.

https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2022/feb/muscle-cramps-8-things-that-cause-them-4-ways-to-stop-them/
What causes muscle cramps? You move throughout the day. In doing so, the motor nerves of your peripheral nervous system fire to trigger the muscle contractions necessary for normal muscle movement. But these motor nerves are incredibly sensitive and, sometimes, they spontaneously misfire — creating muscle contractions that feel anything but

https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-cramps
These conditions include: spinal nerve compression, which can cause muscle cramps in your legs when walking or standing. alcoholism. pregnancy. kidney failure. hypothyroidism, or low thyroid gland

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/remedies-for-muscle-cramps
For a cramped leg, sit on the floor with your leg or foot stretched out in front of you. Keep your leg straight while you gently pull your foot back towards you. Massage the muscle. After

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-cramp/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350825
Stretch and massage. Stretch the cramped muscle and gently rub it. For a calf cramp, keep the leg straight while pulling the top of your foot on the side that's cramped toward your face. Also try standing with your weight on your cramped leg and pressing down firmly. This helps ease a cramp in the back of the thigh too.

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/muscle_cramps/article_em.htm
Muscle cramps are felt to be caused by excessively excited nerves that stimulate the muscles. This can occur after injury to the nerve and/or muscle; dehydration; with low blood levels of calcium, magnesium, or potassium; from certain medications; and even at rest. The pain that is associated with muscle cramps caused by poor circulation to the legs that worsen with walking is referred to as

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/muscle-spasms
Summary. A muscle spasm — also known as a charley horse, muscle cramp or twitch — is a sudden, involuntary movement in one or more muscles. Common causes include stress, exercise, or

https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/symptoms-of-neurologic-disorders/muscle-cramps
A muscle cramp (charley horse) is a sudden, brief, involuntary, painful contraction of a muscle or group of muscles. Cramps commonly occur in healthy people (usually middle-aged and older adults), sometimes during rest, but particularly during or after exercise or at night (including during sleep). Leg cramps at night usually occur in the calf

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-causes-muscle-spasms-and-cramps-3120487
The exact cause of muscle cramps is still unknown, but the theories most commonly cited include: Altered neuromuscular control. Dehydration. Electrolyte depletion. Muscle fatigue. Doing a new activity. Other factors that have been associated with muscle cramps include exercising in extreme heat.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14170-leg-cramps
Stretch: Straighten your leg and then flex it, pulling your toes toward your shin to stretch the muscles. Stretch the cramped muscle, and gently rub. For a thigh cramp, try pulling the foot on that leg up toward your buttock. Hold on to a chair to steady yourself.

https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/fitness/what-causes-muscle-cramps?op=1
What causes muscle cramps? A muscle cramp is caused by a sudden and uncontrollable muscle contraction. When muscles contract, the muscle fibers shorten, increasing tension in the muscle, according

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leg-cramps/
Leg cramps happen when a muscle in the leg tightens and causes a sudden pain that can make it hard to move. The cramps can last from a few seconds to 10 minutes. They can affect the: calf muscle, below the knee at the back of the leg. muscles in the feet or the thighs (less often)

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/muscle-spasms-cramps-charley-horse
Charley horses are cramps that are caused by muscle spasms, involuntary contractions of one or more muscles. Learn more about the causes, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of

https://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_cramps/article.htm
Tolcapone ( Tasmar, used for Parkinson's disease) reportedly causes muscle cramps in at least 10% of patients. the asthma drugs terbutaline (Brethine) and albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin, and others). Some medicines used to lower cholesterol, such as lovastatin ( Mevacor ), can also lead to cramps.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-causes-cramps
Summary. A muscle cramp is a painful tightness in a muscle due to a sudden, involuntary contraction. Various factors may contribute to muscle cramping, but the underlying cause is often unclear

https://www.prevention.com/health/a20515838/what-causes-leg-cramps-at-night/
Really tough workouts. Hard exercise has long been linked to muscle cramps. "Skeletal muscle overload and fatigue can prompt muscle cramping locally in the overworked muscle fibers," write the

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/muscle-cramps
Muscle Cramps. A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction of a muscle that occurs suddenly and does not relax. If you have ever experienced a charley horse, you probably still remember the sudden, tight, and intense pain caused by a muscle locked in spasm. Cramps can affect any muscle under your voluntary control (skeletal muscle).

https://www.verywellhealth.com/muscle-spasm-8641741
Stop activity: If a muscle spasm occurs during physical activity, stop the activity immediately to prevent further strain or injury to the muscle. Stretch gently: Slowly and gently stretching the affected muscle can help relax the contraction.Avoid sudden or forceful movements that could exacerbate the spasm. Apply heat or cold: Applying heat (such as a warm towel or heating pad) or cold (such

https://medlineplus.gov/musclecramps.html
What causes muscle cramps? Causes of muscle cramps include: Straining or overusing a muscle. This is the most common cause. Compression of your nerves, from problems such as a spinal cord injury or a pinched nerve in the neck or back; Dehydration; Low levels of electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium, or calcium; Not enough blood getting to

https://www.verywellhealth.com/leg-cramps-8636869
Change positions: Moving the cramping muscle can help relieve tension and pain. If your leg cramps happen at night, stand up and take a few steps. Massage: Gently rubbing your cramped muscle can help it relax. Apply heat: If your leg cramp lasts more than a couple of minutes, apply a heating pad or take a warm shower to increase blood flow to

https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/night-leg-cramps/basics/causes/sym-20050813
Most of the time, there's no known cause for night leg cramps. In general, they're likely the result of tired muscles and nerve problems. The risk of having night leg cramps increases with age. Pregnant people also are more likely to have night leg cramps. Kidney failure, diabetic nerve damage and problems with blood flow are known to cause