cramp

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A sudden, uncoordinated, prolonged spasm in a muscle, causing it to become taut and excruciatingly painful. Cramps commonly occur in the calf, thigh, and hip muscles after strenuous exercise. As yet, there is no complete explanation for their development. Several causes have been suggested including muscle damage, dehydration, low blood glucose levels, and restriction of the blood supply to the muscles. Exercisers are more likely to suffer cramps if they are out of condition, wear low-heel shoes, or do not take enough fluids and electrolytes during exercise (see also heat cramps). Cramps are often relieved by gentle static stretching, gentle massage, and rest. To reduce the risk of cramps:

• warm up properly; include static stretching
• increase exercise intensity gradually during a workout
• take it easy when performing a new type of workout
• drink plenty of fluids before and after exercise.

Muscle cramps are one of the most common clinical problems suffered by athletes in endurance events. A third to a half of marathon runners and two-thirds of triathletes have been reported to experience exercise-associated muscle cramping (EAMC) at some time in their lives. Other forms of cramp affecting healthy people include nocturnal foot and calf muscle cramps, those arising from certain occupations (such as hand cramps in pianists and typists) and those associated with pregnancy. Cramps can also occur in a variety of relatively rare medical conditions, congenital or acquired, including metabolic or neuromuscular disorders, poisonings, and drug effects. This article will focus principally on EAMC — a spasmodic, painful involuntary contraction of skeletal muscle that occurs during or immediately after muscular exercise — since it is the most studied of the common forms, and has recently become better (though still not completely) understood.

The interest in skeletal muscle cramping associated with exercise was first stimulated at the turn of the century by reports that it occurred during physical work in hot, humid environments, including steam ships and mines. In these early studies the proposed explanation was a disturbance of body fluid and salt balance. The early observations led to the ‘serum electrolyte depletion’ and ‘dehydration’ theories for the cause of the cramps. Such theories are consonant with the fact that widespread cramping is one of the symptoms of severe hyponatraemia (salt deficiency). Thus they are still accepted by some clinicians and applied in practice by many athletes who believe adequate salt and water intake to be important cramp-preventatives.

Recent evidence, however, challenges the salt-and-water view. More than one careful study has shown that most runners with acute EAMC are not salt-deficient, dehydrated, or overheated. Also, cramp among sports people can occur in cold conditions (such as cold water, for swimmers). Factors actually associated with EAMC have been identified using three research approaches: epidemiological investigations; studies on spinal reflex activity during muscle fatigue in animals; and recording of muscle electrical activity (electromyography, EMG) in human volunteers during EAMC. The latter technique demonstrates intense electrical activity, at exceptional frequencies (up to 300 Hz), in both EAMC and occupationally cramped muscles, and indeed in the cramps associated with a number of medical conditions, though not quite all. Critical analysis of these factors has led to the development, by Scwellnus and colleagues, of a novel hypothesis for the cause of EAMC.

It seems that most forms of exercise-associated cramp result from an abnormally sustained activity of the nerve cells in the spinal cord which control skeletal muscle, the alpha motor neurons. Fatigue appears to be the central factor in EAMC. Fatigue enhances the input to the alpha motor neurons from the main receptors in the muscles (muscle spindles) and inhibits the input from the receptors in their tendons (Golgi tendon organs) that signal tension. As the spindle signals excite alpha motor neurons, while those from tendon organs are inhibitory, these fatigue effects can combine to promote uncontrolled activity in the relevant regions of the spinal cord. It is a common experience that cramp may be precipitated by contraction of the muscle from an already shortened position, and this of course is when the tension signal from its tendon is weakest.

In a recent epidemiological study of over 1300 marathon runners, risk factors for EAMC were identified. Cramps were more likely with older age, a longer history of running, a higher body mass index, shorter daily stretching time or irregular stretching habits, and if there was a family history of cramping.

In addition, runners themselves identified specific conditions that were associated with EAMC: high-intensity running (racing), long duration of running (most cramps occur after 30 km in a standard marathon), hill running, subjective muscle fatigue, and poor performance in the race.

The two most important observations from these data are that cramp is associated with running conditions that can lead to premature muscle fatigue, and that poor stretching habits appear to increase the risk.

The muscles most prone to cramping are those that span two joints (for example, the gastrocnemius spanning knee and ankle). These muscles are typically activated when shortened — as in swimming, when the gastrocnemius contracts while the toes are already pointed. In runners, the situation is less clear-cut, but activation is common when only one of the two joints is extended. As the foot strikes the ground, the toes are pointed — the ankle is extended by contraction of the gastrocnemius — whilst the knee is also extended. Then in the load-bearing phase of the stride the foot has flexed, which would stretch the gastrocnemius — but now the knee is bent. The gastrocnemius is then activated again in this relatively shortened position. Such contractions are presumed to produce significantly less tension in the tendons than contractions starting near full extension, resulting in less inhibiting effect on motor neuron activity of the sort described above.

In localized cramp, confined to one or 2 muscle groups, the typical scenario is as follows: there is distressing pain in the muscle that develops gradually over a few minutes during intense or prolonged exercise. The muscle is contracted and hard, and an observer can see fasciculation — small twitchings — over its surface. The onset of the cramp is usually preceded by muscle fatigue and more immediately by a feeling of twitching in the muscle (‘cramp prone state’). This is followed by spasmodic spontaneous contractions and frank cramping if the activity is continued. Relief from the ‘cramp prone state’ occurs if the activity ceases or, temporarily, if the muscle is passively stretched. Once activity stops, there may be alternating periods of cramping and relief.

The athlete who has generalized severe cramping, extending to non-exercising muscle groups, or who is also confused or comatose, presents an emergency. This condition is not typical EAMC as a result of fatigued muscle, but a whole body, usually metabolic, disturbance requiring immediate hospitalization and full investigation.

The immediate treatment for acute EAMC occurring in a sports event, or for cramp experienced in bed, should consist of passive stretching of the affected muscle groups, holding the muscle in stretched position until return to normal muscle length does not lead to recurrence of cramp. General supportive treatment includes maintaining a comfortable temperature and providing fluids if required.

The key to the prevention of acute EAMC is to protect the muscle from developing premature fatigue during exercise. The following advice to athletes is recommended: be well conditioned for the activity; perform regular stretching exercises for the muscle groups that are prone to cramping; and have adequate nutritional intake (carbohydrate and fluid) to prevent premature muscle fatigue during exercise. However, athletes who continue to be prone to EAMC must face the need to perform their activity at a lower intensity or a shorter duration.

— Martin Schwellnus

Bibliography

• McGee, S. R. (1990). Muscle cramps. Archives of Internal Medicine, 150, 511-8.
• Maughan, R. J. (1986). Exercise-induced muscle cramp: a prospective biochemical study in marathon runners. Journal of Sports Sciences, 4, 31-4.
• Schwellnus M. P. (1999). Skeletal muscle cramps during exercise. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 27(12) , 109-15.
• Schwellnus, M. P., Derman, E. W., and Noakes, T. D. (1997). Aetiology of skeletal muscle cramps during exercise: a novel hypothesis. Journal of Sports Science, 15(3) , 277-85

See also fatigue; reflexes.

noun

A violent, excruciating seizure of pain: paroxysm, shoot, spasm, throe. See pain/pleasure.

cramp²

noun

Something that limits or restricts: check, circumscription, constraint, curb, inhibition, limit, limitation, restraint, restriction, stricture, trammel. See limited/unlimited.

verb

To check the freedom and spontaneity of: constrain, constrict, inhibit. See free/unfree, tighten/loosen.

n

Definition: spasm
Antonyms: release

v

Definition: hinder, restrain
Antonyms: allow, let go, release

Numerous cures for cramp have been recorded, some with an alleged physical basis, while others are purely magical. Forbes gives several examples of verbal charms, including the following from a schoolboy Samuel Coleridge Taylor:

The devil is tying a knot in my leg
Mark, Luke, and John, unloose it I beg
Crosses three we make to ease us
Two for the thieves, and one for Christ Jesus!

A widespread belief in a particular animal bone, carried in the pocket or placed under the pillow, to prevent or cure cramp has a long history, and is still found. In the earliest references, in the 16th century, it was a bone from a hare: ‘The lytle bone in the knee ioynt of the hinder legge of an hare, doth presently helpe the crampe if you touch the grieved place therewith. Often proved’ (Lupton, 1579: i. 87; quoted in Opie and Tatem) and Reginald Scot (1584: book, 13 chapter 10) agreed. By the 19th century the effective bone was usually the patella, or knuckle-bone of a sheep.

See also CRAMP RINGS, CORK, EELS.

Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.

• Forbes, 1971: 293-316
• Black, 1883: 27, 86, 95, 154, 156, 175, 182, 199
• Lean, 1903: ii. 491-3
• Opie and Tatem, 1989: 104

1. A U-shaped metal fastening to hold adjacent units of masonry together, as in a

cramp, 1

parapet or wall coping; a cramp iron.
2. A rectangular frame, with a tightening screw, used to compress joints between wood pieces during gluing.
3. A device for holding a frame in place during construction.

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A sudden, uncoordinated, prolonged spasm in a muscle, causing it to become taut and excruciatingly painful. Cramps commonly occur in the calf, thigh, and hip muscles after strenuous exercise. As yet, there is no complete explanation for their development. Suggested causes include muscle damage, dehydration, low blood-glucose levels, and restriction of blood supply causing ischaemia. Risk of cramps during exercise is increased by poor condition, wearing low-heel shoes, and not taking sufficient fluid or electrolytes. Cramps are relieved by gentle, static stretching, massage, and rest. See also caecal slap syndrome, heat cramps, rigor complex.

cramp.© Getty Images.

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For The Record...

Original members include Bryan Gregory, guitar; Lux Interior (born in Cleveland, OH; married Poison Ivy Rorschach), lead vocals; Miriam Linna, drums; and Poison ivy Rorschach (born in Cleveland, OH; married Lux Interior), guitar. Later members include Slim Chance, bass; Candy Del Mar, bass; Harry Drumdini, drums; Nick Knox, drums; and Congo Powers, bass. Band formed in New York City, c. 1976. Addresses: Record company—The Medicine Label, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10019.

Punk band

The Cramps have been a fixture on the fringes of the punk-alternative scene for almost two decades, and the band has long been heralded for their blend of rockabilly-style guitar noise and screwball humor. Often called the original progenitors of the musical genre known as "psychobilly," they think they may have even coined the term themselves. With their seminal 1976 debut EP, Gravest Hits, the Cramps attempted to explain their unique inner vision: "While the jackhammer rhythms of punk were proliferating in NYC, the Cramps dove into the deepest recesses of the rock ‘n’ roll psyche for the most primal of all rhythmic impulses—rockabilly—the sound of Southern culture falling apart in a blaze of shudders and hiccups," they stated in the album’s liner notes. "The Cramps also picked and chose amongst the psychotic debris of previous rock eras—instrumental rock, surf, psychedelia, and sixties punk. And then they added the junkiest element of all—themselves."

The Cramps formed in the New York City area around 1976 with original members Lux Interior on vocals and Poison Ivy Rorschach and Bryan Gregory on guitar; behind the drum kit sat Miriam Linna. Interior and Rorschach were natives of Cleveland, Ohio, and later married. Of the lack of a bassist, Rorschach explained years later to New York Newsday writer Ira Robbins, "We weren’t trying to do anything radical. None of us wanted to play bass. We collect a lot of old records, and if they have bass on ’em I can’t hear it. It didn’t seem essential." The combination of the two females, Rorschach and Linna, already made the Cramps unique in the testosterone-fueled Greenwich Village punk scene. But their particular brand of campy theatrical excess and undress combined with ear-splitting sonics gave them an edge the more cerebral bands couldn’t muster.

Gravest Hits helped usher in the Cramps’ cult following among music aficionados. The band was invited to open for the Police during their 1979 U.K. tour, with Linna replaced on drums by Nick Knox. In a 1979 profile for Melody Maker, writer Penny Kiley called them "America’s rockabilly solution to the New Wave."

Taking Excess to New Heights
By this time the Cramps were known for outrageous onstage theatrics and a retro-outré look that seemed to combine the punk ethos with trash-culture tack. References to B-movies and a slightly sadomasochistic air infiltrated both lyrics and performance—an inevitability, so Rorschach explained in Melody Maker."You can’t separate music and other cultural things; what we do isn’t just music. Everything I ever saw on TV, everything

I ever ate, everything I heard on the radio is an influence. We’re celebrating pop culture." In the same spirit, the band was one of the earliest to exploit the then-new medium of video to fully bring their unique vision to fans, filming a four-minute takeoff on the classic ’50s-era horror film as promotional material back in the late 70s.

Sometime in the ’80s the Cramps’ lead guitarist dropped the "Rorschach" and became known as Poison Ivy. Meanwhile, husband and creative partner Interior earned a reputation for sporting latex and stiletto heels onstage. As Chicago Tribune contributor Greg Kot pointed out, "This yin-yang relationship … [is] far from a traditional one: with the male as sex object and the female as lead guitarist, it subverts decades of rock stereotyping." More albums followed throughout the ‘80s— Songs the Lord Taught Us marked the Cramps’ debut on IRS Records in 1980, prompting Rolling Stone reviewer Dave Marsh to liken them to "an otherworldly culture that’s been developing rock & roll along parallel musical lines but utterly divergent social ones." Psychedelic Jungle followed a year later, marked by the defection of guitarist Bryan Gregory and the addition of Congo Powers on bass.

The Frenzy Continued
In 1984 IRS issued Bad Music for Bad People, a collection of previously released material from Gravest Hits and Songs the Lord Taught Us added to other tracks that had only been available as British imports. MTV news personality Kurt Loder—still writing record reviews for Rolling Stone at the time—was a big fan of the Cramps during this era. Critiquing Bad Music for Bad People, Loder declared, "This is rock & roll the way it never really was on the radio, but the way you always dreamed it could be."

Such dreams never translated into financial success, however. For many years much of the vinyl output by the band was self-financed; Interior and Ivy would then try to sell the finished product to record labels. A Date with Elvis was the Cramps’ fifth release and third full-length album. The creative inspiration behind the 1986 work was the media madness over what would have been Elvis Presley’s fiftieth birthday the year before. As Ivy explained to Kiley in Melody Maker, "It’s our tribute album to Elvis…. Elvis has always been on our mind but he was especially on our mind last year because it was just like national Elvis year or something."

A Date with Elvis met with some criticism for its uninhibited lyrics in songs like "Hot Pool of Womanhood" and "Cornfed Dames." Simon Reynolds reviewed it for Mel-ody Maker and found "few surprises here, none of the little touches of musical radicalism" that surfaced on the Cramps’ earlier releases, and lampooned the more misogynist tracks as displaying "a relentlessly crude, stunted view of sex." Ivy, whose stage garb of bustiers and other provocative apparel belied her creative and decision-making status in the quartet, dismissed charges of sexism. "I think it’s an unbelievable joke people saying we’re sexist…. I create this music. I co-write these songs, how can I be sexist? Sexism to me is when you’re blinded to seeing certain people and the accomplishments of certain people because you’ve got them tuned out. Paying attention to a girl isn’t sexist at all, that’s just animal."

Riding Out the Storms of Controversy
During the late 1980s the Cramps took a hiatus from releasing new material, although imports and compilations appeared intermittently. Soured deals and lawsuits provided additional distractions. For 1990’s Stay Sick!, the band—now joined by bass replacement Candy Del Mar—kept up their own unique blend of covers of obscure rockabilly tunes and female-worshipping originals like "Bikini Girls with Machine Guns" and "Journey to the Center of a Girl." Evelyn McConnell gave it an enthusiastic review in Rolling Stone, noting "Rorschach’s guitar is all burr and bristle; the ghost of Roy Orbison hiccups and growls through Interior as though the singer were swallowing hot tar in hell."

More lineup changes followed the release of Stay Sick!. Del Mar left, replaced by Slim Chance; longtime drummer Nick Knox also exited and Harry Drumdini took over. Both new members played on the Cramps’ 1994 release FlameJob, their major-label debut after signing with the Medicine label, a division of Warner Bros. The band seemed at ease at their new corporate home. "Some labels in the past said, ’We don’t have a pigeonhole for you’ or ’You should be doing a rave record’ or ‘You should give your multitrack to a DJ and let him make a new mix out of it’—all these horrible ideas," Interior told Boston Globe writer Jim Sullivan. "We had to spend a lot of time in the past saying, ’No, no, no, no…’ feeling like we were from Mars because of it."

FlameJob boasted the usual psychobilly vortex of the Cramps with tracks like "Swing the Big Eyed Rabbit," Sado County Auto Show," and "Ultra Twist." Rolling Stone reviewer Paul Evans noted that this psychobilly twang and the Cramps’ original trash-culture ethos had become familiar musical territory for several other contemporary acts, like White Zombie. In the months between 1994 and 1995, the Cramps played several successful shows in major cities. Journalist Lorraine Ali reviewed their sold-out concert for the Los Angeles Times and asserted that their "enthusiasm, coupled with its freakish edge, is the key to the band’s longevity."

A refusal to capitulate, despite the many obstacles encountered over the years in a notoriously fickle industry, may also have played a part in the Cramps’ success; in the 1994 interview with Sullivan for the Boston Globe, Interior offered a reason why he and Ivy never decided to call it quits: "Probably we would have if we knew something else to do that was as fun."

Selected discography
Gravest Hits (EP), Illegal Records, 1976.
Songs the Lord Taught Us, IRS/A&M, 1980.
Psychedelic Jungle, IRS, 1981.
Bad Music for Bad People, IRS/A&M, 1984.
A Date with Elvis, Big Beat, 1986.
Psychedelic Jungle/Gravest Hits, IRS/A&M, 1989.
Stay Sick!, Enigma, 1990.
Look Mom No Head, Restless, 1992.
FlameJob, Medicine, 1994.

Sources
Billboard, August 20, 1994; October 15, 1994; November 19, 1994.
Boston Globe, November 18, 1994.
Chicago Tribune, November 13, 1994.
Guitar Player, March 1983; December 1994.
Los Angeles Times, January 30, 1995.
Melody Maker, June 9, 1979; February 22, 1986; March 29, 1986.
New York Newsday, November 25, 1994.
Rolling Stone, July 24, 1980; March 15, 1984; May 3, 1990; March 9, 1995.
Variety, January 19, 1977.
Additional information for this profile was taken from promotional material provided by the Medicine Label.

A painful spasmodic muscular contraction.

• Greyhound c. — muscle spasms, particularly in the hindlegs, usually in unfit dogs, with excessive excitement, or high environmental temperatures.
• heat c. — a form of equine colic after vigorous exercise with heavy sweating. Caused by electrolyte loss. Signs include muscle tremor and rigidity.
• raptor c. — hypocalcemic, tetanic convulsions in raptor birds caused by a dietary deficiency of calcium.
• Scottie c., Scotch c. — an inherited defect in Scottish terriers that occurs as hyperkinetic episodes from an early age, but may only be precipitated by exercise or excitement. Some dogs show the disorder only infrequently during their otherwise normal lives. Affected dogs become stiff with hyperextension of the limbs which may prevent walking or cause brief cessation of respiratory movements. Caused by a deficiency of serotonin.

For a list of words related to cramp, see:

• Signs and Symptoms - cramp: prolonged painful contraction or spasm of muscle

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See words rhyming with "cramp."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Cramp.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - krampe
v. tr. - give krampe
v. intr. - have krampe

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    lægge hæmsko på

2.
n. - krampe, skruetvinge
v. tr. - fastholde, forankre
adj. - forkrampet

Nederlands (Dutch)
kramp, klemhaak, klamp, belemmering, verkrampen, insluiten, beperken, met klamp bevestigen, moeilijk te begrijpen, te klein

Français (French)
1.
n. - crampe (musculaire)
v. tr. - être pris de crampes
v. intr. - avoir/souffrir de crampes

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    priver qn de ses moyens

2.
n. - (Tech) crampon, serre-joint(s), crampon-coudé, espace restreint
v. tr. - (Constr) cramponner, agrafer, gêner, inhiber, limiter, (Aut) diriger (le volant), faire un tournant
adj. - exigu, à l'étroit, illisible, gêné

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Krampf
v. - verkrampfen, einengen, einen Krampf bekommen, unter Krämpfen leiden

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    jmdn. behindern

2.
n. - Bauklammer, Krampe, Einengung, eiserne Klammer
v. - klammern, ankrampen, mit Klammern befestigen, einengen, einschränken, einschlagen (die Räder eines Fahrzeuges), abdrehen
adj. - eng, beengt, schwer verständlich, krampfhaft

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σύσπαση, κράμπα, (μηχαν.) αγκυρίδα
v. - προκαλώ κράμπα, καθηλώνω, παρεμποδίζω, περιορίζω

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    εμποδίζω κάποιον να φερθεί φυσικά ή ελεύθερα

Italiano (Italian)
crampo

idioms:

• cramp style    impacciato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - cãibra (f) (Med.), obstáculo (m) (fig.), prensa (f) de mão (Mec.)
v. - dar cãibra

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    cortar as asas de alguém (gír.)

Русский (Russian)
судорога

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    ущемлять

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - calambre
v. tr. - acalambrar
v. intr. - acalambrarse

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    cortar los vuelos a alguien, cohibir, impedir que alguien demuestre toda su capacidad

2.
n. - pinza, grapa, obstáculo, traba
v. tr. - engrapar, pinzar, obstaculizar, trabar, girar, dar o tomar una curva
adj. - restringido, difícil de leer o descifrar, agarrotado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kramp, krampa (tekn.), klammer (tekn.), ankarjärn, skruvtving, hämsko (bildl.), bundenhet
v. - förorsaka kramp i, knipa ihop, inskränka, kringskära, hämma, hålla ihop m krampa

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 铁夹钳, 铁箍, 夹钳, 约束物, 束缚物, 用夹钳夹紧, 约束, 限制, 妨碍

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    妨碍, 讨厌

2. 抽筋, 痉挛, 绞痛, 使痉挛, 狭窄的, 难懂的, 受限制的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 鐵夾鉗, 鐵箍, 夾鉗, 約束物, 束縛物
v. tr. - 用夾鉗夾緊, 約束, 限制, 妨礙

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    妨礙, 討厭

2.
n. - 抽筋, 痙攣, 絞痛
v. tr. - 使痙攣
adj. - 狹窄的, 難懂的, 受限制的

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 경련
v. tr. - 경련을 일으키다
v. intr. - 쥐가 나다

2.
n. - 꺽쇠, 속박, 속박물
v. tr. - 꺽쇠로 죄다, 속박하다, 금하다, 핸들을 꺾다
adj. - 제한된, 읽기 어려운, 해독하기 힘든

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 痙攣, 急激な腹痛, かすがい, 締め具
v. - 束縛する, 痙攣を起こさせる

idioms:

• cramp someone's style    自由な行動を阻む

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تشنج أو تقلص عضلي (فعل) ضيق, شد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮התכווצות שרירים, עווית, כאבי בטן עזים‬
v. tr. - ‮עצר, הגביל, הצר, כיווץ, ריסן, מנע התנהגות חופשית מ-‬
n. - ‮מלחצת, כליבה, מלחציים, ריסון‬
v. tr. - ‮הידק במלחצת או במלחציים‬
adj. - ‮מהודק, מכווץ‬

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