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.
A spasm may be a muscle contraction caused by abnormal nerve stimulation or by abnormal activity of the muscle itself. A series of spasms, or permanent spasms, is called a spasmism. A spasm may lead to muscle strains or tears in tendons and ligaments if the force of the spasm exceeds the tensile strength of the underlying connective tissue.