Qualitative, Patient-Centered Assessment of Muscle Cramp Impact and Severity

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Background:There is an urgent need for new therapeutic options to treat muscle cramps; however, no patient-reported measures exist that capture the entire cramp experience. We conducted a qualitative study to assess the experience of patients suffering muscle cramps, aiming to understand what factors determine the impact cramps have in patients’ lives to guide the development of a patient-centered outcome measure of cramp severity and impact.Methods:We enrolled patients with cramps due to several etiologies, including motor neuron disease, pregnancy-induced cramps, cirrhosis and hemodialysis, and idiopathic and exercise-induced cramps. Patients participated in semistructured interviews about their experiences with muscle cramps and their responses were recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed with content analysis using data saturation to determine the sample size. We subsequently developed a conceptual framework of cramp severity and overall cramp impact.Results:Ten patients were interviewed when data saturation was reached. The cramp experience was similar across disease and physiological states known to cause muscle cramps. The main themes that compose the overall cramp impact are cramp characteristics, sleep interference, daytime activities interference, and the effect on mental health.Conclusions:This framework will be used to develop a patient-reported outcome of cramp severity and impact.

Patient-Reported Prevalence, Characteristics, and Impact of Leg Cramps in an Urban Primary Care Clinic

“…These findings concur with other reports of the disruptive impact of leg cramps on patients' health and quality of life. [1][2][3][4][5]9 One disconcerting finding from our study, reported earlier by others, is that very few subjects discussed their leg cramps with their physicians. 1,2 Although there is limited definitive research investigating effective ways to mitigate leg cramps, 10,11 this lack of reporting suggests that clinicians may miss an opportunity to discuss the benefits and harms of potential treatment options with their patients.…”

“…There is no validated survey for leg cramps, hence the survey was developed by the researchers based on a literature review and similar questionnaires used in previous research. 1,3,7,9 It included demographic questions as well as those addressing overall health, physical activity, and sedentarism, as well as questions on the frequency, rest-or exercise-induced, duration, and site of leg cramps and their impact on the patient (Supplemental Appendix). Descriptive summary statistics were obtained.…”

Refinement of a protocol to induce reliable muscle cramps in the abductor hallucis

“…Prevalence of muscle cramp ranges from 33%-95% in adults (Wilder 1940, Norris et al 1957, Hall 1947, Jansen et al 1990, Oboler et al 1991, Naylor and Young 1994, Abdulla et al 1999, Rubin 2018, Katzberg et al 2019, Murata et al 2019, Katz and Sadeghian 2019. Muscle cramps are particularly prevalent in those who are hypohydration, engaged in prolonged exercise, pregnant and older (Rubin 2018, Katz andSadeghian 2019).…”

“…Muscle cramps are particularly prevalent in those who are hypohydration, engaged in prolonged exercise, pregnant and older (Rubin 2018, Katz andSadeghian 2019). From a clinical perspective, those who suffer from metabolic, neuromuscular, and neurological conditions, and those treated with beta-agonists, diuretics, and statins also suffer from muscle cramps (Rubin 2018, Katzberg et al 2019, Murata et al 2019, Katz and Sadeghian 2019. Muscle cramps are sudden, explosive, involuntary, and painful contractions of a muscle (or part of it), and are associated with the repetitive and abnormal firing of the innervating motor neurons (Minetto et al 2013).…”