We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Charley Horse?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,021
Share

Charley horse is a common metaphor for cramps or muscles spasms that occur in the legs. These are sudden and very painful and typically occur most often at night. They are usually the result of a few different things, including overuse of the muscles, poor mineral intake, or dehydration. Muscle spasms can occur anywhere, but most identify the charley horse as painful contractions of muscles in the calves or the thighs.

When people get a charley horse, taking deep breaths and relaxing may help the symptoms subside in a few minutes. Other times, people will have one of these cramps and it will last longer. In some cases when the muscle stays contracted, you can actually feel a lump under the skin. If you can manage it, massaging this lump will sometimes help the muscle or muscles to relax, though the pain of a charley horse can be so significant, this may be impossible at first.

Typical charley horses may be so painful that they’ll wake people up at night or prevent getting to sleep. Fortunately there are some ways to reduce likelihood of getting these. Keeping hydrated, especially if you’re exercising a lot can be a great way to lower incidence of muscle spasms. A lot of times these cramps are linked to missing minerals like magnesium, calcium and potassium. If your diet is inadequate, you may be more prone to cramps. It can help to eat foods rich with these substances, but when this is not possible, taking a supplement with magnesium and calcium may help.

When people haven’t exercised for a while, they may get a charley horse during exercise or again at night when they go to sleep. It can help to build up to really strenuous exercise, stretch before you work out, and if you continue to get these cramps when you’re first working out, do consider whether dehydration or lack of minerals is a factor. If you get these cramps often, you should see a doctor. Occasionally things like low thyroid hormone, diabetes, or anemia can cause muscle spasms.

Pregnant women are particularly prone to getting a charley horse or several in the calves and the feet. When pregnant women point their toes, especially in the later stages of pregnancies, the calf muscles may cramp up and cause very painful cramps. The best way to avoid this is to not point the toes.

Some doctors suggest that you use a cold pack on a charley horse to help relax the muscles, and others suggest using heat to promote relaxation. It may be a matter of figuring out which method best works for you. When people have these cramps often, some doctors prescribe certain muscle relaxants. However, following guidelines on proper nutrition and hydration can reduce these awful cramps and make them occur with less frequency.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By anon115430 — On Oct 02, 2010

I am having severe upper back leg cramps.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-charley-horse.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.