Charley horse

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A charley horse is a North American term for a painful contusion (bruise) of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior thigh, which commonly results in a muscular hematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability.^1,2 It often occurs in sports when an athlete is struck by an opponent's knee, in a manner not unlike the kick of a horse, perhaps the reason for its name. In the UK, such an injury is known as a Dead Leg, corky, or corkie.^{[citation needed]}

In recent decades the term has also been used to describe painful leg cramps, which may occur in the thigh, arch of the foot, toes, calf muscle, or quadriceps. Unlike leg cramps, however, a charley horse can occur when the muscle in question is not being used, such as while lying in bed.

The term may date back to American baseball slang of the 1880s, possibly from the pitcher Charley "Old Hoss" Radbourne who is said to have suffered from cramps.^{[citation needed]}(1) Another story mentions a horse named Charley that used to work at Comiskey Park, the Chicago White Sox' ballpark in Chicago. In those days, an old, perhaps lame, retired horse was often called "Charley."^{[citation needed]}

(1) http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-cha1.htm

[edit] Causes of cramps

Sore muscles after exercise
Hormone imbalance
Mineral deficiency
Dehydration

[edit] Treatment

The quadriceps contusion type of "charley horse" is initially treated by icing. Recent studies have shown that the resulting tightness and contractures that sometimes ensue can be lessened by maintaining the knee in a fully bent position for the first 24 hours to prevent the involved muscles from going into spasm. Premature return to activity can result in calcification of the hematoma in and around the muscle, a long-term problem called myositis ossificans.

A cramp can be quickly defused with active stretching of the affected muscle. Persistent cramps should be treated by a doctor.