Leg cramps during pregnancy are a common discomfort characterized byinvoluntary, painful contractions of muscle groups that usually occur in small muscles the foot butcan affect different parts leg.

A sporadic Japanese case of myotonia congenita with painful muscle cramps is reported. Electromyographic examinations disclosed myotonic discharge with dive bomber sounds at insertion, and high-amplitude, high-frequency motor unit potentials during the muscle cramps. Biopsied muscle specimens and EMGfindings showednon-specific mild myopathic changes. There was no abnormal expansion of CTGrepeat...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by progressive muscle weakness that can occur proximally or distally in either the upper or lower extremities. It includes both upper motor neuron signs (spasticity, hyperreflexia, clonus, and Babinski sign) and lower motor neuron signs (atrophy, weakness, and muscle fasciculation). Initial presentation...

Up to 60 percent of adults report that they have had nocturnal leg cramps. The recurrent, painful tightening usually occurs in the calf muscles and can cause severe insomnia. The exact mechanism is unknown, but the cramps are probably caused by muscle fatigue and nerve dysfunction rather than electrolyte or other abnormalities. Nocturnal leg cramps are associated with vascular disease, lumbar c...

Practice Pointers Muscle cramps affect between 50% and 60% of adults.1 Little is known about their pathophysiology, so many remedies are used empirically. A crystalline alkaloid powder extracted from the bark of the South American cinchona tree, quinine is well known for its use in treating malaria and providing the bitter flavor for tonic water. Quinine has been used by the Quechua of South Am...

INTRODUCTION Anecdotal evidence suggests that ingesting small volumes of pickle juice relieves muscle cramps within 35 s of ingestion. No experimental evidence exists supporting the ingestion of pickle juice as a treatment for skeletal muscle cramps. METHODS On two different days (1 wk apart), muscle cramps were induced in the flexor hallucis brevis (FHB) of hypohydrated male subjects (approx...

We describe a case series of 4 patients with varying degrees of obstructive sleep apnea who incidentally had a history of nocturnal leg cramps. None of the patients had periodic limb movements during the study and denied symptoms consistent with restless legs syndrome. In 3 of the 4 patients, nocturnal leg cramps resolved with CPAP treatment for OSA, while the fourth patient noted near-resoluti...

BACKGROUND Cramps are involuntary painful muscle contractions that mainly affect older people. Cramps may cause severe pain and sleep disturbance. Little information exists on the prevalence and the main features of cramps in primary care settings. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and the main features of cramps among primary care patients aged 60 years and older. ME...