A Charley horse is term used to describe a muscle spasm. Charley horses can happen in any muscle, but mostly happen in the legs. You can’t mistake a charley horse because they are extremely uncomfortable contractions in the muscle. The muscles can’t relax for several seconds, sometimes minutes, and the pain is severe.
I’m sure you’re wondering why it is called a charley horse. There is no definitive answer but there are a few well known guesses.
- A lame horse named Charley pulled the roller on the Chicago White Sox ballpark in the 1890s. That’s the most commonly repeated version but appears to be false as we can put the phrase before the horse, so to speak.
- Policemen in 17th century England were supposed to be called Charleys and the term migrated to America. The amount of walking the police were required to do gave them aching legs. This seems fanciful. I can’t confirm the use of the term Charleys for police in England or America and there seems nothing to explain the link with baseball.
- The pitcher Charley Radbourne was nicknamed Old Hoss. He got cramp during a baseball game in the 1880s. This at least is plausible and has no obvious fault to rule it out, but that’s not enough to prove it is the origin.
What causes muscle spasms?
Muscle spasms usually happen from overuse of the muscles. Typically, spasms happen during or right after exercise and are linked to dehydration.
One possible reason is that exercise causes the body to lose too much fluid and salt through sweating and this causes cramping. Another possible theory is that during exercise the brain sends signals to the muscles to tighten. The more signals it gets to contract, the harder it is for the muscle to relax. Without a balance of contracting and relaxing, the muscle starts cramping.
Muscle spasms, especially in the neck, also may occur when you are under lots of stress. The exact cause of muscle cramps from exercise is not known but there are several possible causes.
- Pool blood circulation to the muscle
- Injury to the muscle
- Not stretching before activity
- Stress
- Not stretching before exercise
- Exercising in the heat
- Dehydration
- Magnesium or potassium deficiency
- Tired muscles
What are muscle spasm symptoms?
The area where you have the muscle cramp may hurt and may feel firm, tight, and tender when you touch it. It may be hard to relax the muscle. When you get a muscle cramp during exercise, the pain may get worse if you keep exercising.
Charley horse treatment
Charley horse treatment depends on the underlying cause. If a charley horse is caused by exercise, simple stretches and massages can help relax the muscle and stop it from contracting. Heating pads can accelerate the relaxation process, while an ice pack can help numb the pain. If your muscle is still sore, your doctor may recommend a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen.
- You will need to change or stop doing the activity that is causing pain.
- Put an ice pack, gel pack, or package of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth on the sore area every 3 to 4 hours for up to 20 minutes at a time.
- Try stretching the muscle. For example, you can stretch a cramp in the calf of your leg by straightening your lower leg and pulling your toes up toward your head. It may also help to stand on the leg that is cramping.
- Moist heat may help relax your muscles and make it easier to use them. Put moist heat on the injured area for 10 to 15 minutes before you do warm-up and stretching exercises. Moist heat includes heat patches or moist heating pads that you can buy at most drugstores, a wet washcloth or towel that has been heated in a microwave or the dryer, or a hot shower.
- Drink enough liquids each day to keep your urine light yellow in color.
If you are not able to relieve your muscle spasms, your healthcare provider may be able to help. Tell your urgent care doctor if your muscle spasms are severe, don’t go away with treatment, or keep coming back.
Tell your urgent care doctor about all of the medicines and supplements that you take. Ask if any of the products you are using may be causing muscle spasms.
Your urgent care doctor may recommend:
- Stretching and strengthening exercises
- Other types of physical therapy, such as massage, to help prevent cramping
If you have severe cramps in your legs at night, your urgent care doctor may prescribe some medicine to help.