Muscle Pull
A muscle pull, which can happen to almost any muscle in the body. No matter how you warm up and stretch, or cool down and stretch, you may pull a muscle from strain, overuse, fatigue or taking a fall. To prevent a muscle pull, stretch prior to any figorous activity and work your muscles on a regular routine. Often people go too hard and too fast in their exercise or sports activities. Start slow and work your way up to more strenous activity slowly.
A muscle pulls when a sudden, severe force is applied to the muscle and the fibers are stretched beyond their capacity. If only some of the fibers tear, that is a muscle pull. If most of the fibers tear, that is a muscle tear.

Recommended Muscle Pull Treatment
Rest and apply ice, the ice relaxes the muscle and helps relieve any spasm. Ice should be applied for about 20 minutes on, then 20 minutes off, as much as possible for the first few days.
As soon as tolerable, begin gently stretching the muscle. A pulled muscle may go into spasm as a reaction to being overstretched. If the muscle fibers are not gradually re-lengthened, the muscle will pull again with return to activity because it will have healed in a shortened state. In general, you can return to action when the injured body part can be stretched without pain as far as the healthy one on the other side of the body. That may take a week for a calf muscle or more than a month for a hamstring pull.

 Muscle Cramps
A muscle cramp  is a painful, involuntary muscle contraction. Muscle cramps are also called muscle spasms.
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?

The main symptom of a muscle cramp or spasm is pain in the muscle. The muscle itself is tender to the touch. In most cases a person is unable to continue using the affected muscle due to the pain. What are the causes and risks of the condition?

The exact cause of muscle cramps is not well understood. They can occur in any muscle at any time. Cramps occur most often in the muscles of the leg or foot. They usually occur while playing sports, exercising, or lying in bed. The calf muscle in the back of the lower leg is a common place for nighttime cramps. These often occur after vigorous exercise.

Tight muscles are more likely to cramp than flexible muscles that have been stretched. A low level of physical fitness increases the risk of muscle cramps. Overexertion and muscle fatigue also contribute to cramping. Excess sweating or dehydration can deplete minerals in the body. These minerals are important for good muscle function and include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Medications like diuretics or water pills can also lead to cramping due to loss of sodium and potassium.

Other situations can contribute to muscle cramping. A person with one leg longer than the other is more likely to develop cramps. People who run with too much rolling in of the foot or too much rolling out of the foot, are more likely to get leg cramps. Wearing high heel shoes can also cause cramping. A poor blood supply to leg muscles caused by smoking and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can cause a type of calf pain called claudication.

The common muscle cramp lasts a few seconds to minutes. It does not carry any risk of other long-term medical problems.

What can be done to prevent the condition?

Stretching the calf and other leg muscles improves flexibility. This reduces the risk of cramps. Individuals who get nighttime calf cramps should: Sleep on their sides,sleep with their toes pointed, not tuck in their blankets and sheets too tightly. This can bend the toes down and cause a cramp. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of mineral deficiencies. Drink plenty of water, before, during and after exercise to prevent dehydration, especially during hot weather, wear comfortable shoes with good arch support to helps prevent cramps.

How is the condition diagnosed?

Common muscle cramps are easily recognized. They cause intense pain in the belly of the muscle. The pain may come on while exercising or at rest. It usually lasts seconds to minutes. The pain of claudication in the calf or buttucks comes on during physical activity, like walking up a hill, and goes away with rest.

What are the treatments for the condition?

The immediate treatment muscle cramp is to stretch and gently massage the muscle. To stop a calf cramp: Grasp the muscle with one hand and pull back on the toes with the other. Point toes upward to help relieve the spasm. Walking may also help, especially if one walks with full weight on the heels. Use ice packs for severe cases. This reduces blood flow to the muscles and relaxes them. If exercising, drink water to prevent or correct dehydration.

If one has been exercising or playing sports for a long time, especially in hot weather, loss of minerals may cause muscle cramps. A sports drink may be helpful. 

What are the side effects of the treatments?

Most of the various treatments do not have side effects.