Hey y’all Trace here for Ahrgggg!
Ugh aww man a Charley Horse.
That one hurts.
Hey there horsey charlies, Trace here for Dnews.
We’ve all had one of those nights when you’re jolted awake with pains in your leg so severe
that you’re left temporarily paralyzed.
We've all had that, right?
Scandinavians call this affliction a wooden leg.
Australians call it a ‘corky’.
Here in the United States we call it a 'charley horse.'
But whatever the colloquial term is, the feeling is universally unpleasant.
I'm not running in my dreams, so what is happening during these nocturnal leg cramps?
And why, despite all our advances in medicine, do we still have to deal with them?
Well, just like any other cramp, a charley horse happens when your muscles suddenly and
involuntarily contract.
This can result in anything from mild twitching lasting a few seconds to intense throbbing
pain lasting several minutes.
Not only is the whole thing extraordinarily painful, but it’s totally out of your control.
During a charley horse, we lose the ability to relax the affected muscles, and as a result
we are left powerless, waiting for the pain to subside.
So, like many things in science, no one really knows why we get charley horses4.
Because these cramps are short lived and, in most cases, harmless, the medical community
hasn’t invested a whole lotta money in figuring out a cause.
One possible cause could be simple muscle fatigue from high intensity exercise or too
much standing.
Staying in one place for too long, like sitting at work or on a plane, is also thought to
lead to cramps.
Another could be dehydration, because when your body’s fluids are low your muscles
receive less oxygen and can easily go into spasm.
And this makes sense, because dehydration can also lead to an electrolyte imbalance
which is a likely cause of uncontrolled cramping.
This one makes a lot of sense, because electrolytes are how our body sends electrical signals
from the brain to the muscles and tells them when to relax or contract.
If the balance is off, then those muscles can “misfire” and contract without the
ability to relax again..
Potassium and magnesium are particularly important because they play an essential role in muscle
relaxation.
In fact, it's a little morbid, but... potassium has been a key ingredient in lethal injection
mixes because in high doses, it prevents muscle from contracting - including the heart.
Of course, this would also make it hard to study, because the imbalance is localized,
and temporary… so scientists would have to somehow know there was an imbalance and
then be watching the misfire when it happens.
Which is basically impossible.
Anyway, if you get regular charley horses, some doctors advise that you gradually increase
your intake of potassium and magnesium to reduce their risk.
Of course, we’re not doctors, so talk to yours before you actually do anything.
Since we're not 100 percent sure why these cramps occur, it should come as no surprise
that we also don’t have a cure.
But there are some things you can do to get that horse off your back.
Many people swear by a hot bath or shower, or a gentle massage to relax the muscles.
And although it may seem counterintuitive when your muscle is as tense as a horse's
rear in fly season -- stretching is also said to be beneficial.
Sidebar: Why the hell are they called Charley Horses?
Legend has it was 19th century slang for leg cramps that affected professional baseball
players.
Some historians it was named after the horse “Charley” that pulled the roller at the
Whitesox baseball.
Others point to Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, a pitcher who often suffered from the condition.
But in reality it's a big old shrug.
No one knows.
DNEWS En Español Did you ever hit that button on the remote
that says, "SAP" that switches to the "secondary audio programming" in old TVs -- it usually
meant the audio was dubbed into spanish.
YouTube doesn't have SAP, so click here to watch an episode of DNews en Espanol about
what happens if we don't go to el baño.
Besides cramping, what else happens to your body when you get dehydrated?
Good news, I looked into that too!
You can find out about it here.
So do you get cramps at night?
Tell us your story...