title: Origin and development of muscle cramps.
abstract: Cramps are sudden, involuntary, painful muscle contractions. Their pathophysiology remains poorly understood. One hypothesis is that cramps result from changes in motor neuron excitability (central origin). Another hypothesis is that they result from spontaneous discharges of the motor nerves (peripheral origin). The central origin hypothesis has been supported by recent experimental findings, whose implications for understanding cramp contractions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. marco.minetto@unito.it
authors.forename: Marco Alessandro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Minetto
authors.forename: Aleš
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holobar
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Botter
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farina
mesh_terms: D004576:Electromyography; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009120:Muscle Cramp / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009407:Nerve Block