I got cramps from exercise! Experts tell you how to give first aid correctly

Everyone has experienced cramps, and you all know that cramps are very painful. So what should you do when cramps occur during exercise? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

1. Mountaineering

Excessive exercise or poor posture during mountain climbing can cause poor muscle coordination, or catching a cold during or after mountain climbing, or a large loss of salt in the body can cause sudden involuntary muscle contractions.

Emergency treatment: Pull the affected muscles to straighten them, gently massage the affected muscles, replenish water and salt, and get enough rest until the affected area feels comfortable.

2. Cycling

Riding too fast can easily cause cramps. If you feel any signs, you should slow down and get off the bike as soon as possible.

Fingers: Make a fist with the cramped hand, then stretch it out forcefully, and repeat this action until it recovers.

Palm: Put your palms together, use the palm of your hand that is not cramped to press the palm of your cramped hand hard to bend it backwards, then release it, and repeat the action until it recovers.

Arm: First, make a fist with the cramped hand, then bend your forearm at the shoulder, then extend your arm and palm, and repeat the action until it recovers.

Toes: Hold the cramped toe with your hand and pull it back, repeating the action until it recovers.

Calf: Hold the toes on the cramped side with your hand and pull them back hard. Use your other hand to press down on the knee to straighten the leg. Repeat the action until you recover.

Thighs: Bend your thighs and knees in front of your abdomen, hug your arms, then release them and straighten your legs. Repeat the movement until you recover.

When cramps occur while riding a bicycle, in addition to emergency treatment, you must apply hot compresses and massage with medicine for at least a few days after returning home, otherwise the cramps will easily occur again.

3. Swimming

During exercise, especially swimming, if you experience calf cramps, do not panic. Otherwise, the cramps will become more severe due to improper treatment, and may even cause drowning. At this time, you should immediately retract the cramped leg, use the other leg and both arms to paddle, and swim to the shore to rest. If you can float, you can float flat on the water, bend the cramped leg, rest for a while, and go ashore immediately after the cramp stops. You can also inhale and sink into the water, grab the big toe of the foot on the cramping side with your hand, and bend it upwards with force, while straightening the knee joint with force. When you can't hold your breath anymore, float to the surface to breathe; then sink into the water again and repeat the above actions; after repeating several times, the cramps will be relieved, and then you can swim quickly to the shore to rest; when swimming towards the shore, be careful not to exert excessive force on the leg on the cramped side to avoid cramping again. If you experience calf cramps during other exercises, you should rest immediately.

4. Calf cramps

In daily life, calf cramps often occur. The following two methods can quickly relieve pain:

Method 1: Sit up instead of lying down, straighten the cramped leg, hold the front of your foot tightly with your hand, endure the severe pain, and rotate the ankle joint of the cramped leg outwards. The severe pain will stop immediately. The movements should be continuous when rotating, and you should complete one circle in one breath without pausing in between. When rotating, if it is the left leg, rotate counterclockwise; if it is the right leg, rotate clockwise. If someone helps, the treatment should be performed face to face, and the rotation direction of the ankle joint should remain unchanged. Use force when rotating and lift your feet as far as possible.

Method 2: Press the nerve root of the gastrocnemius head in the calf. On both sides of the inner side of the knee joint, there is a place where the gastrocnemius head is attached, and the nerve root trunk leading to the gastrocnemius muscle is here. When your calf cramps, use your thumb to feel for the main roots of the hard and protruding muscles on both sides, and then press this area forcefully. The nerves that cause excitement will calm down, the cramps will stop, and the severe pain will disappear.

In addition, you can also quickly pinch and press the palm point (i.e. the depression between the base of the arm, the first metacarpal bone and the second metacarpal bone) and the Ren Zhong point on the upper lip (i.e. the center near the top of the upper lip). After pinching for 20 to 30 seconds, the pain will be relieved and the muscles will relax. The effective rate can reach 90%. If you combine it with hot towel compress and hand massage, the effect will be better.