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How to prevent leg cramps during basketball


Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps | Coach Brock Bourgase

Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps (E.A.M.C.) affect athletes when a muscle involuntarily contracts and does not relax.  These forcible contractions (when the muscle shortens) are usually linked to overexertion.

Where?

  • E.A.M.C.s commonly occur in single, multi-joint muscles utilized by basketball players (triceps, quadriceps, calves and hamstrings).

When?

  • Fatigued muscles which are already shortened are more prone to cramping.

Why?

  • There is not unanimous agreement about the causes of E.A.M.C.s so watch for triggers that may impact you more than others.
Explanation Treatment
Dehydration
  • Drink water beyond thirst before exercise
Inadequate Oxygenation
  • Rapid deep breathing
  • Active recovery to displace lactic acid from muscles
Hyperflexion
  • Warm up and cool down thoroughly
  • Perform exercises to enhance flexibility
Exposure to Large Changes in Temperature
  • Wear layers before the game and on the bench
    Dress appropriately when exercising outdoors
Low Blood Salt Levels
  • Athletes prone to cramps could add 03. -0.7 grams of salt per litre consumed to their drinks
  • Once muscle cramps occur during a workout, practice or competition, it is difficult to return to action.
  • An E.A.M.C. may range in severity from a brief twinge to excruciating pain that lasts for several minutes until the muscle relaxes.
  • Be proactive by staying fit in order to better resist cramps:
    • Drink water evenly throughout the day
    • Develop flexibility and range of motion (including dynamic movement, massage and stretching)
    • Consume potassium, sodium and calcium before the activity
    • Fuel your energy stores with low Glycemic Index carbohydrates
    • Avoid sudden changes in intensity level when fatigued
  • While adequate hydration will not prevent all cramping, there is consensus that it is the best strategy to avoid E.A.M.C.s.
  • Elite basketball players can lose between 1.5 and 2.5 litres of fluid during a typical game or training session (0. 8% to 1.8% of body weight).
    • When an athlete loses more than two to three percent of their body weight, they are susceptible to cramps.
    • Weigh yourself before and after a typical session to understand how much fluid you lose while playing: Fluid Loss = Starting Weight – Ending Weight + Fluids Consumed
  • If the body is dehydrated, nerve endings can become overexcited and spontaneously discharge, creating a muscle cramp.
  • Sip fluids on a regular schedule before competitions and intense workouts, even if you are not thirsty.
    • Athletes can tolerate a fluid intake of 1.8L per hour.
    • Carrying a water bottle throughout the day serves as a reminder for athletes to hydrate before exercising.
  • Low Glycemic Index carbohydrates will last throughout long exercise periods.
    • Good low G.I. choices include: whole wheat pasta, multi-grain bread, brown rice, oats, apples, carrots.
    • Avoid processed grains and refined sugars.
  • A well-balanced diet should include vitamins and nutrients.
    • Sodium: cereal, cottage cheese, beans.
    • Calcium: dairy products, soy, orange juice.
    • Potassium: bananas, green leafy vegetables, yogurt.
  • A succession of quick deep breaths introduces oxygen to the body relieves E.A.M.C.s caused by lactic acid.
  • Soft tissue massage, stretching and application of heat can stimulate blood flow to the cramped muscle and alleviate pain.
  • Although consuming a sports drink/gel, banana or salt tablet may help, electrolytes require thirteen minutes to be absorbed into the system.
  • Frequent cramping may require a visit to a sports medicine doctor.
  • Athletes who have developed their aerobic energy systems will be less fatigued towards the end of games and practices and less likely to cramp.
  • Rest properly between physical activity sessions so that the body can recover.
    • Active recovery during and after exercise disperses lactic acid.
    • o Do not exercise – or make players exercise – to the point of exhaustion.
  • Push yourself during training to simulate intense games.
    • If practices are as hard as games, the body will not need to adjust when facing tough competition.
  • Warm-up thoroughly; even if you are not a starter you must be ready to enter the game when required.
  • BallnRoll. (2014, June 10). How To Prevent Muscle Cramps While Playing Basketball. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from BallnRoll: http://www.ballnroll.com/fitness?post=1199.
  • Miller, K. C., Stone, M. S., Huxel, K. C., & Edwards, J. E. (2010, July). Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps: Causes, Treatement, and Prevention. Sports Health, 2(4), 279-283.
  • Weber, K. (2008, January 18). Cramping. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from Ask the Docs: http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/askdocs_080118.html.

How to Avoid Cramps While Playing Basketball

Basketball is one of the greatest sports in the world, and everyone wants to play basketball! This sport will help you gain new friends, improve your body, and be better in the sport.

Still, there is one thing that all basketball players face on the court, cramps.

Come to think of it, even though those cramps won't get you in the hospital, it is still irritating because once your coach has seen that you are having cramps on the court, you will get subbed off immediately!

We all want to last on the basketball court to score hoops, which is why you will find out the effective ways of avoiding cramps while playing basketball.

Eat Clean Before Playing

Having a great diet plan is the first thing you need to remember whenever you're going to play basketball. Remember that this sport is not just all about speed, strength, or the accuracy of your shots; it's having all of these perks in one person.

If you are serious about playing on the basketball court, you need to discipline yourself first by having a healthy diet. It might be tempting for you to try unhealthy foods but remember that regrets can come at the end of the day.

Hit The Gym

The next important thing is that you need to be active in the gym even though you're just going to play a friendly game on the basketball court.

And no, don't "occasionally" hit the gym just because you're going to have a big game next week. Basketball brings you long-term growth, which is why you need to be serious about taking care of your body, including increasing your muscle mass percentage.

Upgrade Your Sportswear

Upgrading your sportswear is the other thing you need to remember if you want to play longer on the basketball court.

Remember that this is not a fashion show; that is why there is no point for you to compare if your sportswear has an authentic brand or not. Aside from buying comfortable basketball shoes and leg sleeves, you need to invest in kinesiology tape.

Kinesiology tapes will help you soothe and support your muscles while you're playing on the court. Guardian Athletic SportGTape™ can effectively support your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints, making you stay longer on the court!

One of Kinesio tape's best features is that it puts pressure on your skin, which will control that muscle group's body fluids wherever you get hurt.

That is why if you noticed that most pro basketball players put sports tape on a specific muscle and you will get astonished at how they can last longer in the court without getting injured! The other reason here is that the physio tape stretches their muscles which will always make less impact whenever other players try to hurt them.

Kinesio taping is a great way to avoid injuries, and that is why if this is your first time using a kt athletic tape, then you need to apply the tape in one of these parts:

Knee

Jumping is required in basketball- the higher you jump, the more chances of scoring. What makes jumping dangerous is how you're going to land, which is why it's best to apply kinesiology tape on your knee. Your joints will only receive less damage whenever you have a hard land on the court.

Shoulder

Shooting a 3-point shot is never easy, and that is why you'll notice that pro basketball players have strong shoulders because these will help them increase their shot power. Consistently pushing yourself in shooting with your full strength will bring you immense pain, and to avoid it, you also need to apply kinesiology tape on your shoulder so that you won't feel the sores as you keep on scoring in the court.

Wrist

To make the ball go inside the basket, you need to curve as you throw it with your wrists. Knowing how heavy a basketball is, you need to put pressure by applying kinesiology tape on your wrist so that you don’t strain them.

Even though that basketball players have kinesiology tapes on them, they are still required to go into ice baths to recover immediately. Guardian Athletic SportGTape™ also offers you their Icy Cooling kinesiology tape so that your muscles recover while you're playing on the court!

Limit Your Pace

You are on the basketball court, not on the football field, and that is why you need to limit your pace, or else you will get cramps. Even though you are active in the gym and doing cardio all day, you need to know your limits to avoid suffering from cramps.

It's better to be careful rather than to show off. Still, this is not a marathon, it is basketball. You can make up other strategies in scoring by depending on your jumping instead of your pace, or you can rely on your muscle memory in terms of shooting inside or outside the arc. In other words, you don't have to rely too much on scoring on your own.

These are all the tips that you need to follow to last longer on the basketball court. It might sound easy and simple, but these tips were very helpful, especially to those who aspire to play in the professional league.

Tennis cramps are sometimes scary. It is not clear exactly what causes them, but pickle helps to fight - From the world along the Thread - Blogs

In Australia, we will definitely see them.

This year's Australian Open will be tough for the players as Melbourne's wildfires can cause very poor air quality. But in Australia, players have had a hard time before because of the heat, against which cramps often occur.

Cramps cause players to lose control of their bodies but are not considered an injury

Spasms are uncontrollable contractions of various muscles that are accompanied by pain and can last up to several minutes. Sometimes it looks very scary.

In 2009, Caroline Wozniacki, on a 30-degree day at the final tournament in Doha, fell on the court at the end of a three-hour meeting with Vera Zvonareva. Serving for victory, she suddenly grabbed her leg, collapsed on her back, and then twitched and screamed in pain - all because of the fact that her leg and abdominal muscles were cramping. Despite this, the Dane played a break point in tears and brought the match to victory.

While Wozniacki was lying on the court, the referee gave her a warning for running out of time. It may sound brutal, but it is nothing compared to what happened at the 1995 US Open when Japan's Shuzo Matsuoka suffered a seizure against Petr Korda.

They've been fighting for 3.5 hours already, Matsuoka was leading 2:1 in sets, in the fourth it was 5:5. After the first serve in the 11th game, the Japanese suddenly screamed and fell to the court. According to the rules of those years, even when the referee realized that Matsuoka would not be able to continue the match, they left him lying and screaming for several minutes, penalizing first a point, then a game, and then removing him from the game. Only after that, a team of doctors and Kord rushed to him with ice towels.

Korda later called this rule cruel, and the fans gathered in the stadium hooted in displeasure to protest that no one was helping the Japanese. And it’s not very clear why they didn’t help him: yes, convulsions were considered not an injury, but a lack of physical fitness, so he would have been removed if someone had touched him. But when the referee realized that Matsuoka would not be able to continue, there was no point in tormenting him.

After this incident, the rules were changed, and convulsions were equated with a normal injury. Players got the right to take a medical break because of them at any time. But by 2010, tennis bosses felt that tennis players were too often using medical breaks for other purposes, but to knock rivals off the rhythm. The rules have changed again.

Tennis players are currently not allowed to take medical breaks due to seizures, but they can call the physiotherapist twice during a side change during the match. If a player is unable to continue, he may surrender a few points or games to reach the correct score for the change of sides. At the same time, the physio should determine by touch whether the player has an injury or convulsions. Dr. Tim Wood, former chief medical officer of the Australian Open in 2010, said it was all "very, very subjective."

This is probably why convulsions and interruptions are still a problem. For example, in the Australian Open qualifying, Alessandro Giannesi lost to Dok-Hee Lee in the decisive tie-break, which in Melbourne goes to 10 points. With the score 0:4, the Korean was helped due to convulsions, although according to the rules this was not allowed. Giannesi eventually lost 7:10, did not shake hands with his opponent and scolded the judges for a long time.

Why do seizures start?

Tennis players have been wondering about this for almost 100 years. Back in 1929, Briton Bunny Austin withdrew from a Davis Cup match due to cramps in the fifth set, and after that he was sure that the long flannel trousers that everyone then played were to blame. Austin felt that the feet in them become too wet.

In the end, in 1931, he cut off the legs and thus created tennis shorts. In 1947, American Jack Cramer became the first person to win Wimbledon in them - and in the final he played in front of the British king and queen.

The understanding of seizures has advanced since Austin's time, but the main theory is still related to heat, which leads to electrolyte imbalance in the body. The body's main cooling mechanism is sweating. When we sweat, the body loses fluid and the minerals it contains. As a result, unfavorable conditions arise for the cells that control muscle contractions, and this leads to spontaneous activity.

But now there is a new hypothesis - that fatigue leads to impaired neuromuscular control. The scheme is something like this:

• repetition of the same movements leads to muscle fatigue;

• muscle fatigue leads to disruption of the muscle spindles (controlling contraction or stretching) and the tendon spindles, which are responsible for controlling the level of muscle tension;

• this, in turn, leads to an increase in the activity of alpha motor neurons, which are directly responsible for muscle contraction;

• and the result is a spasm.

In this hypothesis, heat also plays a role, because it can be one of the causes of muscle fatigue, which starts the whole chain.

And under both hypotheses, tennis, with its 2-3-4-5 hour matches and huge workloads, is the perfect sport for cramps.

How to deal with them?

Gil Reyes on the right

One of the most respected fitness coaches in tennis, Gil Reyes (thanks to whom Andre Agassi played until the age of 36), said: “According to my players, when cramps begin, there is almost nothing to do with them impossible. The body sends a pretty urgent signal."

Therefore, the main task is not to stop, but to prevent convulsions. The advice here is banal and time-tested:

• work on physical fitness. But this does not always guarantee a 100% result. For example, Rafael Nadal, who is simply a beast in terms of preparation, had a slight cramp in his forearms at the US Open last year in a match with Diego Schwartzman. And in 2011, he went under the table during a press conference, because, amid fatigue after the match, his leg cramped. (Caroline Wozniacki then parodied this moment - and apologized on Twitter).

• eat right to maintain the right balance of trace elements in the body. For example, Grigor Dimitrov, who often suffered from seizures at the beginning of his career, said that he now periodically takes a blood test in order to choose the most effective diet.

• Minerals and energy must be replenished during matches. For example, Andy Murray's process is so scientific that he went to matches with a whole bag of different bottles. They are mixed with special drinks, and their composition for different stages of the match was different, so, for example, in the fifth set he drank not the same as in the first.

• You need to stretch your muscles - both in preparation and during matches.

In recent years, it has been discovered that one proven method of dealing with seizures may not work as commonly thought. Athletes have long used salt because it was thought to help restore electrolyte balance. For example, last year John Millman explained why he drank brine during the Australian Open match: “It helps with cramps. It has a lot of salt in it."

But now more and more scientists are inclined to believe that in fact salty drinks do not replenish the balance of electrolytes, but trigger a reflex in the mouth that tells the body to stop cramps. True, it is very difficult to verify this: the peculiarities of taste do not allow creating a placebo, which is necessary for a normal study.

It is not known what hypothesis Daniil Medvedev was guided by when last year in Barcelona during a match with Nishikori he poured salt into his mouth directly from the salt shaker. But then he won, and he did not have convulsions.

Photo: East News/Associated Press/East News; Gettyimages.ru/Central Press / Stringer, Paul Kane / Stringer, Mark Dadswell; twitter.com/Tennis

Muscle cramps - treatment, symptoms, causes, diagnosis

  • Muscle cramps are involuntary and intense muscle contractions without a period of relaxation.
  • Almost everyone has experienced at least once in their life an episode of seizures.
  • There are different types of seizures and different causes.
  • Many different medications can cause muscle cramps.
  • In most cases, muscle cramps can be stopped by relaxing (stretching) the muscle.
  • Muscle cramps can often be prevented by measures such as a nutritious diet with sufficient micronutrients and adequate fluid intake.

Muscle cramps is an involuntary and violent contraction of a muscle without a period of relaxation. When muscles that can be controlled voluntarily, such as the muscles of the arms or legs, are used, they alternately contract and relax as certain movements are made in the limbs. The muscles that support the head, neck and torso work in synchrony and maintain the position of the body. A muscle (or even a few muscle fibers) can be involuntarily in a state of spasm. If the spasm is strong and persistent, then this leads to the appearance of convulsions. Muscle cramps are often visualized or palpated in the region of the muscle involved.

Muscle cramps can last from a few seconds to a quarter of an hour, and sometimes longer. It is also not uncommon for the seizures to recur until the muscle relaxes. The spasmodic contractions may involve part of a muscle, the entire muscle, or several muscles that usually contract at the same time when performing movements, such as flexing several fingers. In some cases, cramps can be simultaneously in the antagonist muscles responsible for movements in opposite directions. Muscle cramps are widespread. Almost all people (according to some studies about 95% of people) have experienced seizures at some point in their lives. Muscle cramps are common in adults and become more common with age, but cramps can still occur in children. In any muscle (skeletal) in which voluntary movements are performed, there may be cramps. Cramps of the limbs, legs and feet, and especially the calf muscle, are very common.

Types and causes of muscle cramps

Skeletal muscle cramps can be divided into four main types. These include "true" seizures, tetanic seizures, contractures, and dystonic seizures. Seizures are classified according to the causes of the seizures and the muscle groups they affect.

Types of muscle cramps

True cramps . True cramps involve part or all of a muscle or group of muscles that normally function together, such as the muscles involved in flexing several adjacent fingers. Most researchers agree that true cramps are caused by increased excitability of nerves that stimulate muscle contractions. They are overwhelmingly the most common type of skeletal muscle cramps. True seizures can occur in a variety of circumstances.

Injuries : Persistent muscle spasms may occur as a defense mechanism after an injury such as a broken bone. In this case, as a rule, spasm allows you to minimize movement and stabilize the area of ​​injury. Injury to just the muscle can also lead to muscle spasm.

Vigorous activity: true cramps are usually associated with active muscle loading and muscle fatigue (during sports or unusual activities). Such convulsions can occur both during the activity and after, sometimes many hours later. In addition, muscle fatigue from sitting or lying down for a long period of time in an awkward position or any repetitive movement can also cause cramps. Older people are more at risk of seizures during vigorous or strenuous physical activity.

Rest seizures : Rest seizures are very common, especially in the elderly, but can occur at any age, including childhood. Rest spasms often occur at night. Night cramps, while not life threatening, can be painful, disrupt sleep, and may recur frequently (i.e., many times a night and/or many nights a week). The actual cause of nighttime cramps is unknown. Sometimes these cramps are initiated by a movement that contracts the muscles. An example would be stretching the foot in bed, which shortens the calf muscle, where cramps are most common.

Dehydration : Sports and other strenuous exercise may cause excessive fluid loss through sweat. With this type of dehydration, the likelihood of true seizures increases. These cramps most often occur in warm weather and may be an early sign of heat stroke. Chronic dehydration due to diuretics and poor fluid intake can similarly lead to seizures, especially in the elderly. Seizures can also be associated with a lack of sodium.

Redistribution of fluids in the body: true convulsions can also be noted in conditions where there is an unusual distribution of fluid in the body. An example is cirrhosis of the liver, in which there is an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites). Similarly, seizures are a relatively common complication of the rapid changes in body fluids that occur during dialysis for kidney failure.

Low levels of electrolytes in the blood (calcium, magnesium): low blood levels of calcium or magnesium directly increase the excitability of the nerve endings innervating the muscles. This may be a predisposing factor for the spontaneous true seizures that many older people experience, and these seizures are also common in pregnant women. Low levels of calcium and magnesium are common in pregnant women, especially if these minerals are not getting enough from the diet. Seizures occur in any circumstance that reduces the availability of calcium or magnesium in body fluids, such as diuretics, hyperventilation, excessive vomiting, lack of calcium and/or magnesium in the diet, insufficient absorption of calcium due to vitamin D deficiency, reduced parathyroid function.

Low potassium levels: Low blood potassium levels sometimes cause muscle cramps, although muscle weakness is more common in hypokalemia.

Tetany

Tetany activates all nerve cells in the body, which then stimulate muscle contraction. In this type, convulsive contractions occur throughout the body. The name tetany comes from the spasms that occur when tetanus toxin affects the nerves. However, this name for this type of cramp is now widely used to refer to muscle cramps in other conditions, such as low blood levels of calcium and magnesium. Low levels of calcium and magnesium increase the activity of the nervous tissue non-specifically, which can lead to the appearance of tetanic seizures. Often these seizures are accompanied by signs of hyperactivity of other nerve functions in addition to muscle hyperstimulation. For example, low blood calcium not only causes muscle spasm in the hands and wrists, but it can also cause numbness and tingling sensations around the mouth and other areas of the body.

Sometimes, tetanic convulsions are indistinguishable from true convulsions. Additional changes in sensation or other nerve function may not be noticeable, as the pain of a cramp may mask other symptoms.

Contractures

Contractures occur when the muscles cannot relax for an even longer period than with the main types of muscle cramps. Constant spasms are caused by the depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the energy intracellular substrate of the cell. This prevents relaxation of the muscle fibers. The nerves are inactive in this type of muscle cramp.

Contracture may be the result of genetic inheritance (eg, McArdle disease, which is a defect in the breakdown of glycogen to sugar in muscle cells) or acquired conditions (eg, hyperthyroid myopathy, which is a muscle disease associated with an overactive thyroid gland) . Convulsions of the type of contractures are rare.

Dystonic seizures

The last category of seizures are dystonic seizures, in which muscles not involved in the intended movement are affected and contracted. Muscles that are involved in this type of cramp include antagonistic muscles that usually work in the opposite direction of the intended movement and/or others that enhance the movement. Some dystonic spasms usually affect small muscle groups (eyelids, cheeks, neck, larynx, etc.). The arms and hands may be affected during repetitive movements such as writing (writer's cramp), playing a musical instrument. These activities can also lead to true cramps due to muscle fatigue. Dystonic seizures are not as common as true seizures.

Other types of seizures

Some seizures are caused by a number of nerve and muscle disorders. For example, these are diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), accompanied by muscle weakness and atrophy; radiculopathy in degenerative diseases of the spine (hernia, disc protrusion, osteophytes), when root compression is accompanied by pain, impaired sensitivity and sometimes convulsions. Seizures can also occur with peripheral nerve damage, such as diabetic neuropathy.

Crumpy . This type of cramps, as a rule, describes cramps in the calf muscle, and associate their appearance with muscle overstrain and the presence of degenerative changes in the spine (osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, lumbar ischialgia). In addition, cramps are possible with disorders of the vascular circulation in the lower extremities (with obliterating endarteritis or post-thrombophlebitic syndrome). Also, various biochemical disorders in the triceps muscle of the leg can be the cause of cramps.

Many drugs can cause seizures. Strong diuretics such as furosemide or vigorous fluid removal from the body, even with less potent diuretics, can induce seizures as dehydration and sodium loss occur. At the same time, diuretics often cause loss of potassium, calcium and magnesium, which can also cause seizures.

Medicines such as donepezil (Aricept, which is used to treat Alzheimer's disease) and neostigmine (Prostigmine, used for myasthenia gravis), asraloxifene (Evista) is used to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women - may cause seizures. Tolcapone (Tasmar), which is used to treat Parkinson's disease, has been shown to cause muscle cramps in at least 10% of patients. True seizures have been reported with nifedipine and the drugs Terbutaline (Brethine) and albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin). Some medicines used to lower cholesterol, such as lovastatin (Mevacor), can also cause seizures.

Seizures are sometimes observed in addicts during cessation of sedatives.

Lack of certain vitamins can also lead directly or indirectly to muscle cramps. These include deficiencies in thiamine (B1), pantothenic acid (B5), and pyridoxine (B6). The exact role of deficiency of these vitamins in causing seizures is unknown.

Poor circulation in the legs leads to a lack of oxygen in the muscle tissue and can cause severe muscle pain (intermittent claudication) that occurs when walking. It usually occurs in the calf muscles. But the pain in vascular disorders in such cases is not caused by the muscle cramp itself. This pain may be more related to the buildup of lactic acid and other chemicals in muscle tissue. Cramps in the calf muscles can also be associated with a violation of the outflow of blood in varicose veins and, as a rule, cramps in the calf muscles occur at night.

Symptoms and diagnosis of muscle cramps

Characteristically, a cramp is often quite painful. As a rule, the patient has to stop activities and urgently take measures to relieve seizures; the person is unable to use the affected muscle during the seizure. Severe cramps may be accompanied by soreness and swelling, which can sometimes persist for up to several days after the cramp has subsided. At the time of the cramp, the affected muscles will bulge, feel hard and tender to the touch.

Diagnosis of seizures is usually not difficult, but finding out the causes may require both careful collection of the medical history and instrumental and laboratory methods of examination.

Treatment

Most seizures can be interrupted by stretching the muscle. For many leg and foot cramps, this stretch can often be achieved by standing up and walking. With cramps in the calf muscles, it is possible to bend the ankle with the help of the hand, while lying in bed with the leg extended straight. In writing spasm, pressing the hand against the wall with the fingers down will stretch the flexors of the fingers.

A gentle muscle massage can also be performed to help relax a cramped muscle. If the cramp is associated with fluid loss, as is often the case with strenuous exercise, rehydration and restoration of electrolyte levels is necessary.

Muscle relaxants may be used in the short term in certain situations to allow muscles to relax during injury or other conditions (eg, radiculopathy). These drugs include cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), orphenadrine (NORFLEX), and baclofen (Lioresal).

In recent years, injections of therapeutic doses of botulinum toxin (Botox) have been successfully used for certain dystonic muscle disorders that are localized to a limited muscle group. A good response may last several months or more, and injections may be repeated.

Treatment of seizures that are associated with specific diseases, usually focuses on the treatment of the underlying disease.

In cases where seizures are severe, frequent, prolonged, difficult to treat, or not associated with an obvious cause, then in such cases, both additional examination and more intensive treatment are required.

Prevention of seizures

Adequate nutrition with sufficient fluids and electrolytes is essential to prevent possible seizures, especially during strenuous exercise or during pregnancy.

Night cramps and other rest cramps can often be prevented with regular stretching exercises, especially if performed before bed.

Magnesium and calcium supplements are also good for preventing seizures, but caution is required when prescribing them in the presence of renal insufficiency. In the presence of hypovitaminosis, it is necessary to take vitamins of group B, vitamin D, E.

If the patient is taking diuretics, it is necessary to take potassium supplements.

Recently, the only drug that is widely used for the prevention, and sometimes for the treatment of seizures, is quinine. Quinine has been used for many years in the treatment of malaria. The action of quinine is due to a decrease in muscle excitability. However, quinine has a number of serious side effects that limit its use to all groups of patients (nausea, vomiting, headaches, heart rhythm disturbances, hearing impairment, etc.


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