Charlie Horses

[bertine]

Last night I kept waking up with Charlie Horses which I forgot about until I just went to stand up and got one in my right calf.

Anyways, I know I could look it up but I wonder how a cramp in your calf became known as a Charlie Horse.

Comments

[ctakahara.livejournal.com]

The etymology of it's fairly fascinating. It may stem from a pitcher whose name was Charlie and nickname was "Old Hoss" who often had cramps, or from a horse who used to work at Comiskey Park - regardless, it pretty much seems to be a baseball term.

Wikipedia informs me that the Norwegian term for the same phenomenon means "thigh hen." But in Denmark, it's a "wooden thigh." Also this possible origin: "The term may also reference Charlie "Bucket" McCormick, who was said to wander the streets of Altoona in the late 1800s and massage the calf muscles of the horses who would deliver bushels of rye to local Shriners. The Shriners used this rye for bootleg whiskey, and so the horses needed to have strong calf muscles to outrun the tax collecting authorities."

Sorry for the wall of text, Charley horses are just fascinating to me because it's such a weird term.

[polyranger.livejournal.com]

More potassium for you young lady. ;)

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I ate a banana!

[lisianthia.livejournal.com]

Drinking tonic water is great for leg and foot cramping.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I read that too but the first part "thigh hen" and stuff has too do with something other than cramps. It is an injury of the leg somehow. I don't think I have that.


Yeah, I agree with the weirdness of the term. I am totally ok with you doing my research for me. :)

[bertine.livejournal.com]

Really? I should try that since I get them often enough to be annoying.

[polyranger.livejournal.com]

Ah...But how often do you eat a banana? It's a sustainability thing. (sustainability is the new buzz word right?)

Every morning for me it is one banana, one yogurt, and a bowl of non-sugar cereal.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I don't eat them daily because I have a theory about my headaches and bananas. I have weird food allergies.

[polyranger.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that. Cool. Do you know why or is it just something that you know works?

[lisianthia.livejournal.com]

It's the quinine. Contraindicated if you have heart problems though.

[polyranger.livejournal.com]

Oh...Being allergic to bananas would suck. It's monkey food. And anything to do with monkeys is cool.

[polyranger.livejournal.com]

Good for curing the charlie horses, but only if your ticker is up to par. Good to know!

Thanks for the info! Is there a documentation link or any other info available on it? I am all about the curing without medicine if you can being a massage therapist and energy healer. Medicine has it's place, don't get me wrong I use it daily unfortunately, but I think we rush to the medicine cabinet a little too quickly in Western culture.

[lisianthia.livejournal.com]

Googling it should give you some more info.

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

Chaaaaaaaarley!!!! We're on a bridge Chaaaaarley!

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

I suspect some gin helps, too. mmmm

[polyranger.livejournal.com]

That's too much like work. LOL!

Google knows all!

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I am not sure. I just notice that if I eat them a lot I get more migraines.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

What is that from?

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I have never even heard fo this.

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

I'm just spreading the word.