Who is prone to cramps?

The article was written by Specialist Doctor I Vo Khac Khoi Nguyen - Orthopedic Trauma Doctor, Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Cramps are a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by sudden, persistent, involuntary spasms of the calf, hamstring, or calf muscles. Nocturnal cramps cause sleep disturbances, which can seriously affect quality of life. The symptoms of cramps and their incidence increase with age.

A large population-level epidemiological survey found that: 30% of adults experience cramps at least 5 times per month, of which 6% have at least 15 times per month. This shows that cramps are a common medical problem in the community, but easily overlooked.
Muscle cramps can happen at any time of the day or night. Cramps affect people of all ages, but they are not common in children < 8 years of age. Muscle cramps often occur in the legs, especially the calf muscles.
Most cramps go away on their own within 10 minutes but can last up to an hour. In most cases, cramps come on suddenly, often appearing and disappearing spontaneously, sometimes without the need for specific treatment.

There is no consensus among scientists about what causes cramps. But subjects with cramps are all ages, whether they are healthy or have comorbidities.
So far, all explanations for the cause of cramps are hypothetical. These hypothetical causes are varied and sometimes the cramps are idiopathic. There are many underlying pathophysiological disorders that cause cramps such as hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, renal failure, liver dysfunction, arterial insufficiency, varicose veins, and neuropathy. Muscle cramps have been reported to be associated with many metabolic and electrolyte disturbances.
In particular, they occur in about two-thirds of patients with diabetes, especially those with type 2 diabetes, and are associated with diabetic neuropathy.
A demographic study conducted on diabetics in Canada found that, 75.5% of patients with type 2 diabetes and 57.5% of patients with type 1 diabetes had muscle cramps. Cramps also occur in about half of people with chronic kidney disease.
Cramps that occur during exercise are a common problem in both amateur and professional athletes. These pains occur during or immediately after exercise, and are common in athletes who do endurance sports.
Statistics show that 95% of physical education students have experienced cramps while exercising. Exercising in hot and humid conditions exacerbates water and electrolyte loss, thereby facilitating cramps.

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Prevention and treatment of cramps when playing sports Cramps are also quite common in some normal physiological conditions such as pregnancy and in the elderly without co-morbidities. About 50% of pregnant women have experienced cramps. Pregnant women often experience cramps in the last 3 months of pregnancy and are often nocturnal. Mothers also need to understand that cramps during pregnancy are not related to fetal growth problems.
Cramps are common in older people. Older adults are more likely to have poor overall health and more medical conditions, which are risk factors for cramps. The elderly have medical conditions related to cramps such as liver failure, chronic kidney failure (hemodialysis), heart disease, blood vessels, magnesium or calcium deficiency, dehydration and varicose veins. It has been suggested that shortened muscle length in physically inactive elderly people is a predisposing factor for cramps.
In a nutshell, a muscle cramp is an involuntary muscle contraction. It is temporary but intense and painful. Cramps can appear in many different situations, in many different people.
Although the causes and cures for rat schizophrenia are still controversial to date, it is a common medical problem that can affect quality of life.