Leg Cramps in Children

Like adults, children too tend to have leg cramps. These are also called "charley horses", especially when the muscles spasm follows prolonged exercise. This term is derived from popular American slang for painful cramps in the lower limbs, usually involving the quadriceps and calf muscles.

The Main Causes

Children are usually very active and often do not know the limits and risks of prolonged and strenuous physical exercise or activity. This is the commonest cause of leg cramps in children. There is excessive build up of certain chemicals like lactic acid in the skeletal muscles of the thigh and the calf. This causes what is called in medical terminology, ERMC (exercise related muscle cramps).