Why Do We Get Cramp?

I’m sure every one of you reading this will have experienced cramp at some point in your life, and you know just how uncomfortable it can be. One question I’m asked a lot by clients is ‘how do I get rid of it?’ But before we can answer that, we need to find out what’s causing it.

One thing we see a lot with our clients is cramping whilst doing muscle testing. We see it most often with the hamstrings, as we ask the client to contract the muscle whilst we apply some resistance, and suddenly they’re wanting to jump off the bench and scream, all because they’re experiencing cramp.

There's lots of things that can cause cramping of a muscle. Holding a particular position for too long, poor blood supply to the area, or even not enough minerals in your diet can cause cramping in your muscles. But this doesn't explain how the cramping actually occurs.

If you're a client of ours already, or have been following us for a while, then you’ll know that the brain is the most important organ in your body, and the nervous system is responsible for everything we feel within our body. If your nervous system isn't functioning as well as it can be, it means your brain can't control your body properly. If your brain can't control your body, it won't be able to send the most accurate signals to your muscles, which in some cases can result in a cramping sensation, as the brain tells the muscle to contract.

There's lots of things you can do yourself to reduce your risk of getting cramp. Making sure you drink enough water throughout the day to ensure you stay hydrated, particularly if you're taking medication that acts as a diuretic as it increases your urine output (medication for high blood pressure often has this effect). A healthy, well-balanced diet is also important as a lack of calcium, potassium, or magnesium within the body can increase your risk of muscle cramping. Whilst all of these can help reduce your risk of getting cramp, we still need to ensure that your brain and nervous system are working properly, so we can eliminate the risk altogether.

If you’ve ever experienced cramp and want to stop it from happening again, book yourself in for a free screening day to see how we can help you improve your nervous system function!