Question

You are a trainer and are called on to the field where a player is down with a severe cramp of his right hamstring (biceps femoris) muscle. You know that cramps are caused by over-active motor nerve activity to the muscle. Your associates want to stretch the cramping hamstring, but you say, "No! I want the player to concentrate on contracting his right quadriceps muscles before we stretch the cramped hamstring."

Why would stretching a cramping muscle INCREASE the cramping?

Answer 1

Stretching a cramped muscle can increase cramping because the muscle fibers are already overactive. Instead, contracting the antagonistic muscle.

Step-by-step explanation:

Stretching a cramping muscle can potentially increase the cramping because the muscle fibers are already in an overactive state and may not be responsive to stretching in a way that relieves the cramp. Instead, activating the antagonistic muscle, in this case, the quadriceps which are opposite to the hamstrings, can help. When the quadriceps contract, they promote relaxation of the hamstrings through a process known as reciprocal inhibition, where the contraction of one set of muscles signals the relaxation of their opposing muscles. This natural mechanism helps prevent muscles from working against each other during movement. By contracting the quadriceps, the tension on the cramping hamstring is better managed, reducing the cramping sensation and preparing the muscle for more effective stretching afterward.