Muscle Cramp

A muscle cramp is also known as charley horse. It is a strong, painful contraction of legs or that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few seconds. It often occurs in the legs. The causes of muscle cramps are because of decreased amounts of minerals like calcium and magnesium, especially in the later months of pregnancy and Exposure to cold temperatures. Quinine is very effective in preventing muscle cramps.

A total of 101 patients (67%) reported muscle cramps in the preceding 3 months. Patients with cramps had significantly lower serum albumin (3.1±0.6 g/dL vs 3.3±0.7 g/dL, P=.04) and CLDQ scores (107±37 vs 137±34, P<.0001) compared with those without cramps. The median composite symptom score, defined as product of frequency and severity of cramps, in the study cohort was 12 with a range of 0.3 to 200. The median composite symptom score, defined as product of frequency and severity of cramps, in the study cohort was 12 with a range of 0.3 to 200.