What is muscle cramp?

Muscle cramp is caused by different things. For example, dehydration, overuse of a muscle, muscle strain and simply holding a position for an extended period of time. Most muscle cramps are harmless, but some may be related to an underlying medical condition such as inadequate blood supply.

Cramp is an involuntary muscle contraction or muscle shortening. It is generally temporary and non-damaging it can cause mild-to-excruciation pain and paralysis-like immobility of the affected muscle group. Skeletal muscle cramps may be caused by muscle fatigue and lack of electrolytes (e.g. low sodium, low magnesium or low potassium). 

The good news is cramp usually only lasts a few seconds/minutes, and it does not need medical attention. The first thing you need to do is stop whatever you’re doing. Secondly, you need to gently stretch and massage the area that is cramping until it starts to go away. You should apply heat to tight/tense muscles and cold to sore muscles.