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If there is one thing that will get me out of bed faster than the sound of my Fran Drescher Alarm Clock it is a cramp in my leg. Do you get those at night?

It probably means I am prone to having a heart attack, the heartbreak of psoriasis, or I am fat and grossly out of shape.

A leg cramp is often referred to as a Charley Horse. Because I spend a lot of time alone, I was pondering the origin of the phrase. It's kind of like my search for Cooter Brown. It's totally pointless but it made me feel better knowing.

It's similar to the feeling you get when you  look up an ex on Facebook and find out that life after you hasn't been very good for them. I am pretty sure I should I be apologizing to the Almighty for that last statement.

In the quest for the rest of the story on Charley and his horse I came to understand that there was a guy named Charley involved. However, there was no horse. The horse part comes from Charley's nickname, Old Hoss.

Charley Radbourn was a baseball pitcher in the 1800's. He often suffered cramps in his legs while pitching. You might be aware but back in the 1800's baseball was played by men and not high priced cry babies. A pitcher might throw several games in a row, sometimes on the same day. Therefore you can see the reason for the cramping.

Some dispute this connection between the cramp and the leg and the name Charley Horse. Some articles I read on the subject related the name coming from a factory worker named Charley. Another article I read connected the term to British Police officers that were referred to as "Charleys" and their leg issues from walking their beats all day.

Regardless these muscular cramps can make a grown man cry. If you happen to "catch a Charley Horse" here's what the professionals say you should do to make it stop.

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