What is Charlie Horse?
As strange as it might sound, charlie horse is a medical condition that manifests through a person experiencing muscle spasms in his thigh area, usually after an injury. Charlie horse symptoms may vary in intensity and frequency, usually affecting the front part of the thighs. The pain can last weeks if not treated, and can make life miserable, until cured.
Reasons behind Charlie Horse
Causes of charlie horse can vary,most often this phenomenon occurs in athletes while indulging in sports that involve running, straining muscles,or physical contact. In fact, the name Charlie Horse, was derived from a situation when two runners collide and one hits the other in the thigh with his knee. Therefore, a physical injury of this type may result in the onset of charlie horse. Also overdoing exercises can strain one's muscles too much, leading to the onset of these spasms. Finally, pregnant women may have these due to their hormonal imbalances while other people may also experience leg nerve problems due to similar hormonal activities.
How Can This Be Treated?
Rest is the first therapy needed to ease the pain from the Charlie Horse. Also, you might deal with the pain by, applying ice packs, massage or any other form of rehabilitation physical therapy which could boost the blood flow in the area. If all these fail, visiting your doctor would be a good idea, since the problem is obviously more serious. Doctors will examine your leg through X-ray scanning, where they will establish a proper diagnosis, searching for any nerve or tissue damage.
Many people claim that stretching the legs may do away with a charlie horse. However, if you experience more serious symptoms, let alone hematoma appearing on the surface of your injured leg, medical assistance is a must.
Once you have been prescribed adequate therapy, stick to it and do not continue with your workouts until you have completely recovered. Also, for prevention, do not go overboard with your exercising.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...