Recently, within the past couple of months, I've started doing this really weird, painful thing. It seems to be something I do when I'm waking up in the mornings. If I stretch my legs, or move them in a way that they don't like, I get this excrutiating pain that feels like a knotted muscle or something, that lasts a couple of seconds and then goes away. It feels like I'm badly pulling a muscle or something.
It really fucking hurts.
I'm not going to a doctor so he can touch my legs and then tell me there's nothing wrong, because that's what doctors always do to me.
Any AGSers out there doctors? I'd look up the symptoms on the net but I have no idea where to start. Like, 'Ow, my fucking LEGS hurt', didn't turn up any good google results.
My dear, you are experiencing the wonderful Charlie Horse, which is what happens when your muscles cramp up.
"Cramps or Muscle Cramps (Charlie Horse) leg pain usually occur when a muscle tries to do more work than it has the strength and flexibility to handle. As a result, most people have experienced a cramped calf, biceps, hand or other muscle at some time. Another cause can be dehydration. Muscle cells are made up of 80 percent fluids, so they need to be replenished constantly. A combination of overwork and dehydration can be more devastating.
Muscles contract and relax over and over again (Restless Legs) , but when a cramp occurs, the muscle locks in the contracted position (Charlie Horse) leg pain . When the muscle is irritated, it cramps to protect the area of difficulty. People who overuse their muscles during the day sometimes wake up at night with cramps. The best way to avoid a leg cramp is to warm up and stretch before and after exercise, and stay hydrated.
If you get a cramp, such as a hamstring cramp, lie on your back and gently bring the cramped leg, bent at 90 degrees or so, toward your head. Use one hand to stabilize the front of the thigh, while the other guides the back of the calf. The uncramped leg should be bent at 45 degrees for the least possible strain on your back."
http://www.macrocap.com/Leg-Cramps-Muscle-Cramps/ for more information. And don't worry, I get that same problem too.
I used to get some monster muscle cramps. Usually in bed, usually when I was waking up, but sometimes they'd happen in the night and wake me up. Felt like my calf muscle was trying to tear itself right off the muscle, while I gnashed my teeth in pain. It still happens every once in a while, but was most frequent in my teens and early 20s. A few times a year, a simmilar thing happens to the part of my neck behind my chin, which is uber painful and scary.
I've found the best way to try to "fight" these spells is try do your very best to relax and GRADUALLY move the affected area around (either on its own, or by rubbing the muscle around).
This could also be some sort of muscle spasm (which would have a similar feeling), sometimes caused by a potassium defficiency. In which case you should eat more bananas (unless you're allergic).
If you're still fairly young, I suppose there's a chance that it's growing pains, but I doubt it.
(please note though, that I'm no doctor)
How to cure feet in 10 seconds (http://www.terran-x.com/increator/cure.GIF)
Actually, when working on feet, you have to rest them after every few hours, like massage or stretch them or walk around or something like that. To keep blood moving and rest muscles. Breathing fresh air should help too, because it helps to move oxygen around the body, included feet. Which is good.
Have you tried to put something under your legs for night to raise them higher, like a pillow for example? I've heard it works for some people.
Also, consider some good medicaments (creams) made for athletes. They usually help.
Quote from: Flamboyant PC Salesman on Sat 14/08/2004 11:21:22
I'm not going to a doctor so he can touch [me] and then tell me there's nothing wrong, because that's what doctors always do to me.
Yeah. I used to say that kind of stuff too. Until my doctor told me my kidney's were as usefull as an inflatable dart board.
Uh, anyway, not like that's gonna happen to you. Geez. I agree with Dart there; sounds like a Charlie Horse problem. But you should make sure it's not clots in your legs. Those can be very dangerous.
Bt
Hehehe, I just laughed my way through this whole thread. God, it's a kind of painful recognisation.
As far as I know, absolutely everyone gets these, some more than others. I go through periods where I get them frequently, but thankfully right now isn't one of those times. I've had them, as has been said, mostly while lying in bed when I go to stretch (which you always WANT to do in bed). I've now learn NEVER to stretch my legs in bed, or any lying position - ever. I just don't do it because of the absolutely crippling =fear= of experiencing a leg cramp. "Leg cramp" is what I call them. "Charlie horse" is, from what I can gather, an American term.
I'm not sure if I agree with that lying down method because I know that when I've had them, my first reaction is to LAUNCH up into a sitting position and grab my leg. I don't think I could possibly stay lying down, the pain is too horrendous.
My recommendation would be to exercise well and drink plenty, obviously. If they DO happen (and they will), try to get your leg off the bed and just gently massage it.
My number one tip is to keep your feet WARM. I used to get these a lot when I slept with bare feet, and as soon as I started sleeping with wooly socks on, (or warm pants) they stopped.
These have mostly happened to me in bed when stretching. I've also woken up with one in the middle of the night a few times (which is the most god-awful way to ever be woken up) which leaves you stunned and shocked and unable to get back to sleep. Sometimes it's happened to me when I've been sitting on the couch in a sort of "sitting on my feet" position with bare feet. Again, warm socks will cure this wonderfully.
I just can't emphasise warm socks enough.
My parents once informed me these can be caused by a sodium deficiency... anyone else heard of this?
It happens to me because I have a pinched nerve in my back, if I lay on my back for too long my left lower thigh "falls asleep" and if it stays like that for too long and I move it it feels like someone is shredding my muscle with a small, white hot garden rake...
That's not what it feels like, is it?
Um... I've never had my muscles shredded by a white hot garden rake so....
QuoteA combination of overwork and dehydration can be more devastating
This would explain why I've been getting a lot more recently than before, because I've been working full time over the summer.
So I need more water, more sodium, more potassium, and I need to wear socks when I sleep. Awesome.
It's incredibly fucking painful. Thank god I like bananas and water.
No eric, it just suddenly starts hurting like hell while you're lying still. I've only ever gotten them while sleeping, and like Kinoko mentioned, it's the most awful way of waking up, ever!
This happens to me every couple of months, always in the middle of the night, and always my left calf.
It'd be interesting to know if this is more painful than childbirth. At least after childbirth you get something nice out of it.
I haven't found a good solution to it other than just clenching my jaws and riding it out. Usually passes in a few minutes.
Of course, after that my calf aches for a week and a half.
I don't wanna sound like an annoyingly healthy prick, but many of these problems will go away if you jog (or walk pretty fast) regularly.
I don't do it myself at the moment, but during the periods when I exercise a lot, a million aches and pains, like cramps and similar in the legs, disappear.
Yufster, did these cramps just appear or are they the aftermath of an injury? Does the pain only appear at night?
If the cramps manifest in your calves, you can try pointing your toes, which sometimes will alleviate the pain.
If all else fails, some painkillers I reccomend (in order from weakest to strongest): Ibuprofen, Vicodin, Percocet. I believe you'll need a perscription for the last two (unless you have some generous athlete friends).
QuoteI don't wanna sound like an annoyingly healthy prick, but many of these problems will go away if you jog (or walk pretty fast) regularly.
I don't do it myself at the moment, but during the periods when I exercise a lot, a million aches and pains, like cramps and similar in the legs, disappear.
But I do. I walk loads, and I cycle every day. In fact, I used to have to walk almost two miles to school and work where I used to live.
The pain isn't the aftermath of an injury or anything. It's in both legs, too. I used to get it occasionally when I'd stretch my legs in the morning. It would be a sharp, paralysing pain that would last a few seconds and I thought it was because I was so tired I didn't notice I was overstretching or something. But over the months it's happened a lot more frequently, the worst being last night where I can't count the amount of times I woke up with it. Also, as it happens more frequently, even slight movements seem to 'overstretch' my muscles. It feels like the muscles along the back of my legs are being stretched apart, and it lasts about 20 seconds (but then my leg aches for the rest of the day).
It actually feels like my muscles are going to snap. And it only happens at night, when I'm sleep and/or have just woken up.
And the aftermath of last night is that this morning, I felt like my legs had run a 1000 mile marathon without me. They felt tired and unable to keep up with me.
I'm going to try some of the stuff you guys recommend tonight and see if that helps. Thanks a million.
Ive had this once or twice, I seem to get it when Ive been using my muscles and then I rest them, do you work till late? Maybe you should try and watch TV for a bit or something to relax your legs before you goto bed (if you dont already)
It sounds like muscles cramping up to me, a product of the aging human body, I'm afraid.
Quote from: ProgZmax on Sun 15/08/2004 02:13:01
It sounds like muscles cramping up to me, a product of the aging human body, I'm afraid.
Yeah, if she weren't only 18 years old.
This has already been well explained above.
QuoteYeah, if she weren't only 18 years old.
This has already been well explained above.
The cramping up of limbs is a natural process once you have fully grown (most every doctor will tell you that age is 18), and again, is a product of the body aging, along with other factors (in some cases, poor nutrition can be cited, but unless you live in a third-world country this is rarely an issue). Severe cramping in the legs can signify a lot of things, really (like Atherosclerosis), but at that age it's more likely that you're just sleeping wrong or your body is just changing.Ã, I used to be able to lay on my arm all day as a kid, for example, but now about 30 minutes and they go numb..
I ate a banana. I'm fixed!!!
Congratulations!
On the subject of the human body turning againsts you, My neck was once sruck in an an odd position for a night, Sometimes my thumb goes all stiff and I need to click it back into place and once, I swear my little toe passed out.
Has anyone had a NECK cramp? That is the most pain I've had in a long time. Leg cramps I can get gone by stretching the offending muscle and pointing my toes, but you can't really stretch your neck much. I looked really silly trying to put my chin through my ribcage! Finally, it worked though.
i recently had a cramp in my tongue. hurt like hell. couldn't move the tongue for about 5 minutes.
it surely looked funny, but it *really* hurt.
Quote from: ProgZmax on Sun 15/08/2004 09:53:24
QuoteYeah, if she weren't only 18 years old.
This has already been well explained above.
The cramping up of limbs is a natural process once you have fully grown (most every doctor will tell you that age is 18), and again, is a product of the body aging, along with other factors (in some cases, poor nutrition can be cited, but unless you live in a third-world country this is rarely an issue). Severe cramping in the legs can signify a lot of things, really (like Atherosclerosis), but at that age it's more likely that you're just sleeping wrong or your body is just changing. I used to be able to lay on my arm all day as a kid, for example, but now about 30 minutes and they go numb..
I dunno.. I've had cramps since as long as I can remember, and I'm only 19. I still think it's dehydration or improper nutrition. Age shouldn't really start adversly affecting you until your 30's or 40's so long as you're healthy.
Was your cramp like, from the back of the knee to a little up?
I remember feeling this the first time( it happened only 4-5 times recently to me).
I was lying on the couch and suddenly this extraordinry strong pain was in my leg.
I couldn't believe it.
After a few minutes of stugglin' it went away, but ALAS, a bigger hell came.
THE OTHER LEG WAS INFECETD!
etc. etc.
A few days later, a friend gave me the secret which goes for ALL CRAMPS!
Just go THROUGH IT!
Meaning, straight your leg in my case.
1 for the trouble 2 for the time.
C.
Kinda on the same topic, enough to not bother with another, does anyone know what might cause numb spots on my shoulders? Like an inch down and three or four inches on either side of my neck. Its not too bad most of the time, but it comes and goes.
My father used to get something similar ... it was because he had a pinched nerve in his neck.
Do you get neck pain and occasional dizziness?
Nope. My chiropractor says I need to come see him every week and pay him $45 each time and that will make it go away. :p Stuipid guy, doesn't he know I need that money for rent? (Did I just type stuipid? Yes, I did...the numbness must be traveling to my brain)
I often have pains in my legs that force me to use a walking stick to get around the house. It seems to be related to sudden changes in the weather.
It apparently has no cause whatsoever medically though. It's not cramps, it's not athritis, it's not even consistent. It'll take me 10 minutes to get out of bed because it'll hurt if I move the wrong way, but I can ride a bike fine. Then I'll nearly fall over when I get off because I still can't walk.
It could be a nerve problem, but it's funny that there's, as far as doctors and specialists can see, no reason at all why it is happening. It's also frustrating.