Charley horses??

[Guest twinklehooves]

What are charley horses?? I know my dad gets them in his calves sometimes and it looks like there's a little guy in his calves punching his calf muscles from the outside. (My little view of a charley horse.)

[Victoria Leigh]

A Charley Horse is a severe cramp, or muscle contraction, usually in the calf or hamstrings. They are temporary, and can be relieved by counterstretching the muscle, that is, a stretch that lengthens it. For the calf, sometimes just walking will alleviate it, but if you do the "runners stretch", the one where you place one leg directly behind the other, parallel, reaching the heel back to the floor as far as you can while keeping the body weight over the front leg, it should go away. You can also sit on the floor with legs stretched in front and flex the foot. Gentle massage after the cramp releases would be good. If one gets these frequently, it could be a lack of potassium and might be helped by eating bananas, potato, or other potassium-rich food, or by taking a potassium supplement. If this does not help, then one should see a doctor and find out the cause of the cramps.

[Guest twinklehooves]

Thanks, I'll tell my dad that. Whenever he gets them, I tell him to do the runner's stretch. Now, I'll tell him to eat potassium and massage it!! Thanks!!