Charley horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A charley horse is a popular North American colloquial term for a painful bruise of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior or lateral thigh that commonly results in a muscular hematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. Such an injury is known in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries (and also in the U.S.) as a dead leg or granddaddy.[1][2] In Australia it is also known as a corked thigh or "corker."[3] It often occurs in sports when an athlete is struck by an opponent's knee, in a manner like the kick of a horse, perhaps the reason for its name.
The term "charley horse" is also used to describe simple painful muscle cramps in the leg or foot, especially those that follow strenuous exercise.[4][5][6] These muscle cramps can have many possible causes including hormonal imbalances, dehydration, low levels of potassium or calcium in the blood, side effects of medication, or more seriously, diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuropathy.[7] They are also a common complaint during pregnancy.[8]
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[edit] Treatment
The quadriceps contusion type of "charley horse" is initially treated by icing. Recent studies have shown that the resulting tightness and contractions 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. Prematurely returning to sports activities increases the likelihood of the main complication of a charley horse, the deposition of calcium into the hematoma that forms at the site of injury. This complication, termed myositis ossificans, can result in long-term disability.
A cramp can be quickly defused with active stretching of the affected muscle. Cramps in the calf muscle can be defused by outstretching the leg, pushing the heel downward, and pointing your toes toward your head. Standing up with most of your weight on the ball of the foot on the cramping side will also stretch the gastrocnemius muscle and diffuse the pain. If you feel a cramp starting, this will usually stop it from becoming more painful. Persistent cramps should be treated by a doctor.[9]
[edit] Etymology
The term may date back to American baseball slang of the 1880s, possibly from the pitcher Charlie "Old Hoss" Radbourn who is said to have suffered from cramps.[10] Another story mentions a horse named Charley that used to work at Comiskey Park, the Chicago White Sox's ballpark. In those days, an old, retired horse was often called "Charlie."
In the German speaking world it is commonly known as a Pferdekuss (horse's kiss), while in Denmark it is known as a trælår (wooden thigh), in Norway is referred to a lårhøne (thigh hen), and in Sweden lårkaka (thigh cake). In Portugal, it is known as a paralítica, roughly translated to "paralyzer."
[edit] Notes
- ^ What is a dead leg?, bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Cowboys five years running 2002, LA Daily News (archived article)
- ^ Corked thigh, mydr.com.au
- ^ WordNet Search - 3.0
- ^ Dorlands Medical Dictionary:charley horse
- ^ World Wide Words: Charley Horse.
- ^ Miller TM, Layzer RB (2005). "Muscle cramps". Muscle Nerve 32 (4): 431–42. doi:. PMID 15902691.
- ^ Young GL, Jewell D (2002). "Interventions for leg cramps in pregnancy". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (1): CD000121. doi:. PMID 11869565.
- ^ Nighttime Leg Cramps-Topic Overview
- ^ "Charley horse definition". MedicineNet. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=34344. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
[edit] References
- Shulman, D. Whence "Charley Horse"?. American Speech, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr., 1949), pp. 100-104.
- Troubridge, St. V. "Charley Horse" Again. American Speech, Vol. 25, No. 1. (Feb., 1950), p. 70.
- Woolf, H B. Mencken as Etymologist: Charley Horse and Lobster Trick. American Speech, Vol. 48, No. 3/4. (Autumn - Winter, 1973), pp. 229-238.
