Photo: Nick Anderson of Greenville, N.C., left, his father Rick Anderson and stepbrother Jeramie Mullis pose with the 143-pound blue catfish caught Saturday in Virginia in Buggs Island Lake, also known as the Kerr Reservoir. The previous world record was a 130-pounder caught in the Missouri River last year.
A muscle cramp is a strong, painful contraction or tightening of a muscle that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. It often occurs in the legs. A muscle cramp is also called a charley horse. Nighttime leg cramps are usually sudden spasms, or tightening, of muscles in the calf.
Possible causes of muscle cramps. Muscle cramps can have many possible causes. Treatment of a muscle spasm. When muscle cramps occur there are several things you can do to help ease them, such as massaging, stretching or icing the muscle, warming the muscle, or taking a bath with Epsom salts.