Perth Chiropractor's in Hillarys

Here are 5 important things to look for when choosing a Chiropractor:
#1. You should insist that they respect your time as valuable. That's why our office has a 15 Minute Wait Guarantee. We appreciate your time is valuable and don't expect anyone to wait more than 15 minutes. After all, isn't your time just as valuable as your Doctors? #2. You should insist on years of practical experience. The average Chiropractor internationally has treated 389 patients however, Dr. Burke and Dr. Brukwinski at West Coast Family Chiropractic http://www.westcoastfamilychiropracti... have each treated over 3000 chiropractic cases to date which is almost 10 times more than the average Chiropractor.
#3. You should insist that your chiropractor offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Most won't because they aren't confident in their services. We are. Just how confident are we? We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We can't guarantee you results but we can guarantee you complete satisfaction in the way you've been treated. If at any time during your treatment you feel like you haven't been treated like a V.I.P., tell us and we'll make it right.
#4. You should insist that your Doctor provide a risk-free way for you to try out his office. Most offices charge in excess of $200 for a first visit. However we offer a new patient special rate at our Hillarys Chiropractic office of just $49 for your first visit and that covers everything.#5. You should insist that your Chiropractor offer a no-pressure, affordable way to seek treatment. Many will suggest extended treatment plans lasting 6 months or more. We believe in a more affordable and conservative approach to treatment. We offer multiple payment plans that put our treatment plans within reach of every type of budget.

Yours in health,

Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

How To Choose The Best Mattress

Perth chiropractor Eric Brukwinski of West Coast Family Chiropractic http://www.westcoastfamilychiropractic.com speaks to the experts, Tony and Tania Santoro of Bedroom World http://www.bedroomworld.com.au in Clarkson WA about "How To Choose The Best Mattress." A good nights sleep can change a person's entire life, don't play guessing games. Listen to what the experts have to say.

Yours in health,

Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with 'incurable' diabetes switching their diet and getting off insulin.

The film follows each participant's remarkable journey and captures the medical, physical, and emotional transformations brought on by this diet and lifestyle change. We witness moments of struggle, support, and hope as what is revealed, with startling clarity, is that diet can reverse diabetes* and change lives.

Additional wisdom is provided by Morgan Spurlock, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Robbins, Rev. Michael Beckwith, and Doctors Fred Bisci, Joel Furman, and Gabriel Cousens.

Yours in health,

Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

Calorie Restriction Appears Better Than Exercise At Slowing Primary Aging

(Natural News) Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that eating a low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet lowers concentrations of a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine (T3), which controls the body's energy balance and cellular metabolism. The researchers also found that calorie restriction (CR) decreases the circulating concentration of a powerful inflammatory molecule called tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF). They say the combination of lower T3 levels and reduced inflammation may slow the aging process by reducing the body's metabolic rate as well as oxidative damage to cells and tissues.
Previous research on mice and rats has shown that both calorie restriction and endurance exercise protect them against many chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes,cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. However, the research has shown that only CR increases the animals' maximum lifespan by up to 50 percent. These animal studies suggest that leanness is a key factor in the prevention of age-associated disease, but reducing caloric intake is needed to slow down aging.
For the new study, researchers examined 28 members of the Calorie Restriction Society who had been eating a CR diet for an average of six years. Although the CR group consumed fewer calories -- averaging only about 1,800 per day -- they consumed at least 100 percent of the recommended daily amounts of protein and micronutrients. A second group of 28 study subjects was sedentary, and they ate a standard Western diet. A third group in the study ate a standard Western diet -- approximately 2,700 calories per day -- but also did endurance training. The researchers found reduced T3 levels -- similar to those seen in animals whose rate of aging is reduced by CR -- only in the people on CR diets.
But their serum concentrations of two other hormones -- thyroxin (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) -- were normal, indicating that those on CR were not suffering from the thyroid disease of clinical hypothyroidism. The findings are published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Interestingly, body fat levels did not affect serum T3 concentrations. The people in the CR group and the endurance athletes had similar amounts and composition of body fat. But although the CR group had lower T3 levels, the exercise group had T3 levels closer to those seen in the sedentary people who ate a standard Western diet.
"The difference in T3 levels between the CR group and the exercise group is exciting because it suggests that CR has some specific anti-aging effects that are due to lower energy intake, rather than to leanness," says first author Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor ofmedicine at Washington University in St. Louis and an investigator at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy. "These findings suggest that although exercise helps prevent problems that can cut life short -- such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease -- only CR appears also to have an impact on primary aging."
Primary aging determines maximal length of life. Secondary aging, on the other hand, refers to diseases that can keep a person or an animal from reaching that expected lifespan. Eliminating factors related to secondary aging allows more people to reach their projected length of life. By slowing primary aging, CR may increase maximal lifespan.
In a related study in 1997, co-investigator John O. Holloszy, M.D., professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology that in rats, CR extended life longer than exercise.
"Sedentary rats who ate a standard diet had the shortest average life-spans," Holloszy says. "Those who exercised by running on a wheel lived longer, but animals on calorie restriction lived even longer."
Earlier this year, Fontana's group reported that CR seemed to prevent or delay primary aging in the heart. Ultrasound examinations showed that the hearts of people on calorie restriction were more elastic than those of age- and gender-matched control subjects. Their hearts were able to relax between beats in a way similar to the hearts of younger people.
This latest study targeted another marker of primary aging. The thyroid gland produces critical hormones that play an indispensable role in cell growth and development as well as in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. T4 is the main product secreted by the cells of the thyroid gland, but most actions of thyroid hormone are initiated by T3. Fontana says T3 controls body temperature, cellular metabolism and to some extent, it also appears to be involved with production of free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage cells. All are important aspects of aging and longevity. In fact, a 2002 study in Science magazine from researchers at the National Institute on Aging observed that men with lower body temperatures tended to live longer those with higher body temperatures.
Fontana says lower levels of T3, cholesterol and the inflammatory molecules TNF and C-reactive protein, combined with evidence of "younger" hearts in people on calorie restriction, suggest that humans on CR have the same adaptive responses as did animals whose rates of aging were slowed by CR.
Holloszy and Fontana are getting ready to launch a 2-year study to look at the effects of calorie restriction. Later this year, they will begin recruiting volunteers between the ages of 25 and 45 who are willing to go on a CR diet for 24 months.
Called the Comprehensive Assessment of the Long Term effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) study, the goal is to get some clues about whether putting a normal weight person on calorie restriction will lower their levels of inflammation and their serum concentrations of T3, improve their heart function and change other markers of aging, as Fontana and Holloszy have observed in members of the Calorie Restriction Society.
"We want to learn whether calorie restriction can reverse some of these markers of aging in healthy people," Holloszy says. "It's going to be many years before we know whether calorie restriction really lengthens life, but if we can demonstrate that it changes these markers of aging, such as oxidative damage and inflammation, we'll have a pretty good idea that it's influencing aging in the same way that CR slows aging in experimental animals."

Be sure to check out "Chiropractic Exposed!" A Free 11 Day Mini course ALL About Chiropractic!

Yours in health,

Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

Types of Chiropractic Care For Various Health Needs

What is Involved in Chiropractic Care?

There are a wide variety of chiropractic care suited for all types of ailments or medical condition. It can be used to address general health care or treat specific types of condition. Therefore, chiropractic care also has its own share of specialized branches just like any areas of medical profession. In cases wherein misalignment (termed as subluxations in chiropractic industry) is detected, chiropractors perform mild adjustments to provide relief for patients on the area where the misalignment was found.

In terms of the treatment approaches, there are three main ones that chiropractors focus on.

Stage #1: Relief Chiropractic

This type of chiropractic care is done on patients who suffer from any form of pain or discomfort, regardless of cause. The purpose of this treatment is to provide immediate relief from any undesirable sensation. The length of treatment period largely vary according to the extent of the damage acquired by the patient and how it can be corrected.

Stage #2: Corrective Chiropractic

This is a more advanced type of chiropractic care. It is performed on patients who suffered from spinal problems over a long period of time and have developed into a more complicated condition that have been neglected of proper treatment. For corrective chiropractic care, the process usually extends on a long term treatment. The length in itself is determined by the extent of the damage and how the patient responds to the treatment given.

Stage #3: Maintenance Chiropractic

As the name implies, this type of chiropractic care is intended to sustain any form of treatment already administered to a patient with spine problems. In some cases, chiropractic treatment are continued even after the initial treatments have proven successful. The idea behind this type of chiropractic care is to prevent the possibility of the condition's recurrence, especially in the case of your spine.

Importance of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is a form of alternative medicine that helps one achieve overall health. It focuses on an internal healing system that addresses any spinal problems that cause interference on the activities of your nerves and cells. This explains the growing popularity of chiropractic care for its focus on attaining the normal functions of the body.

As for your different health needs, there are different types of chiropractic care available. Hence, initial consultation with a chiropractor is necessary to evaluate the extent of the damage and what specific chiropractic treatment to correct them. By restoring your body's normal functions, you are enabling your body to naturally heal.

Also, it helps prevent further damage caused by the presence of such dysfunction in your health system. As soon as you start feeling any abnormalities in your body, seek the help of a nearby chiropractor to prevent the worsening of your condition and improve overall health.

Yours in health,
Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

Do Cortisone Shots Actually Make Things Worse?

Posted By Dr. Mercola

The steroid cortisone has long been considered a safe, reliable means to treat the pain and inflammation associated with sports injuries. Cortisone shots are one of the preferred treatments for overuse injuries of tendons.

But a major new review article, after examining the results of nearly four dozen randomized trials, found that people who received cortisone shots had a much lower rate of full recovery and a 63 percent higher risk of relapse.

 The New York Times reports:

“In other words, in some way, the cortisone shots impede full recovery, and compared with those adopting a wait-and-see policy, those getting the shots ‘are worse off.’ Those people receiving multiple injections may be at particularly high risk for continuing damage."

Sources:New York Times October 27, 2010

Yours in health,
Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

What is Wellness?

Wellness is all the rage now. There are wellness coaches, wellness experts, wellness practitioners and the list continues to grow. Optimal health allopathically speaking has always been viewed as freedom from disease, so basically if you weren't sick you were considered healthy. This perspective has slowly started to change. Most people would agree that absence of disease, sickness or symptoms is a component of wellness, but does not indicate whether you indeed actually "well" or healthy.

Wellness is a mindset and a perspective not only associated with health but also with a certain lifestyle. A lifestyle that may include certain nutritional parameters to minimise chemicals or processed and refined foods for example. Maybe it also address maintaining a certain body weight, includes strength training and aerobic or anaerobic exercise regimes. A wellness model may also address controlling other recreational substances like cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drug use. Meditation, breathing exercises and yoga are some others to also name just a few that could also be included. All of these are an example of variables that can be included when discussing wellness, and are controllable by the individual who is including them in their wellness model.

Some other commonly used wellness approaches include dental checkups, eye exams and chiropractic adjustments. These are just three examples of proactive wellness professions that focus on optimal function and not just waiting for a problem to arise before providing crisis care. Can you imagine if your dentist said "wait until you're in a lot of pain to come and see me?" I am sure you would have a nice cavity by the time you were in pain! Or how about your chiropractor saying the same thing, "Wait until your back blows out before you come and see me." Not a good approach to maintaining your wellbeing!

Statistics indicate that individuals, who exercise, avoid high fat processed foods and are proactive with regards to their health, have fewer absences from their jobs, and access medical services less frequently than others who don't. One article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that, in one study, the "wellness" approach resulted in a 17 percent decline in total medical visits and a 35 percent decline in medical visits for minor illness. The subjects involved participated in a year-long self-care education program.

Lifestyle factors are largely found to be the most important determinants in an individual's pattern of general health and wellbeing. Expanding our awareness and continue our education may help an individual to make better decisions with regard to their daily lives and health and lifestyle objectives. The choices we make will influence many aspects of our daily lives, from our energy levels, our moods, how we feel etc. Leaving those decisions up to someone else to give us a tablet or perform a procedure may be too late. The secret is in learning to develop habits and make decisions that provide consistent "self care." The traditional medical model focuses on treating symptoms and curing sickness. The wellness concept encourages us to take responsibility for our decisions and lifestyles for our optimal wellbeing.

Being proactive and focusing on prevention may help a person achieve optimal levels of physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. We could then say wellness is an active ongoing process, whereby we continue to learn, become more aware and improve our decision making toward a more optimal wellbeing experience. Adopting habits and behavioural routines that promote improved health and quality of life. 
A person's quality of life may be individually defined, wellness is an approach to optimal wellbeing that focuses on the whole person.

What is wellness? Keeping it simple we could define wellness as an integration of body, mind and spirit, and understanding that we each may have the ability to impact our individual state of health and wellbeing more than any other person, place or thing, and then act on that awareness to improve many aspects of our lives.

Yours in health,
Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

Caution Over Back Surgery

New studies show some procedures used to relieve back pain for spinal compression fractures may offer no benefit, Dr. Jennifer Ashton tells Harry Smith.

Yours in health,
Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

What Does A Chiropractor Do?

Often the word chiropractor brings many thoughts to mind. In the early days of the profession many medical doctors labelled chiropractors "quacks" and charlatans. Chiropractic has often been associated with back and neck pain but a lot of the controversy that previously surrounded the profession grew out of chiropractors claims of many other improved health conditions such as asthma, ear infections, and a multiple of other medical conditions. People who are under chiropractic care either swear by it, or think that they are being coerced to come in for repeated care.
Chiropractic philosophy evolved around the principle that proper maintenance of the spine through chiropractic adjusting could improve, and support the nervous system keeping a person healthy. A Doctor of Chiropractic as they are also known, treats many musculo-skeletal problems as well. There are over 200 chiropractic techniques and 31 Chiropractic Colleges within the United States (18), Canada (2), Australasia (6), and Europe(5). Most chiropractors practice with the approach of relieving any interference or spinal mis-alignments that interfere with normal functioning of the spinal column and nerves associated with those structures. Many chiropractors use traditional manual adjusting procedures and some use both manual and mechanical multi-thrust instrument adjusting.
The spinal cord is housed within the spinal vertebral column. Many chiropractors understand that conditions or maladies may be affected through these nerves, and their nervous system pathways, affecting the organs and tissues. When there is a disturbance within this bony mechanism, this mechanical distress may disrupt the normal balance and harmony within our bodies, creating disturbances in our nervous system either through pain or symptoms, or in other ways which are not as obvious to us, until the dis-ease accumulates in a greater degree.
The evidence supports chiropractic improving back and neck pain and other musculo-skeletal problems through chiropractic adjustment. Continuing research into other areas of health benefits is still needed to fully understand the effects of chiropractic adjustments on the rest of the nervous system and a person's overall health.
Your initial visit to a chiropractor will most likely include a thorough medical history and consultation. Afterwards they will probably conduct a very thorough physical examination depending on the reasons you have presented with. Most commonly, orthopaedic and neurological tests will be conducted and other exams may also be necessary like x-rays or other imaging. From this information a chiropractor would then be able to determine if you are indeed a candidate for chiropractic care, or if referral to another health care specialist may be necessary. If you are a chiropractic candidate, an appropriate treatment plan can be formulated based on your needs and objectives for care. Depending on the nature and severity of a person's problem the number of adjustments can vary from person to person, as well as their personal medical history and the type of chiropractic technique utilised for  treatment.
Most chiropractors work in conjunction with other allied health professionals and are very effective in the "team approach" of getting a person back to being in optimal state of wellness. A lot of the previous problems that existed between the different health professions has become less and less as educational standards and technology have allowed the different professions to improve their standards of care and practice more evidence based approaches, for the benefit of the patient.
This article is meant as a guide as a general overview and anyone experiencing a problem should consult with their doctor immediately for a complete and thorough assessment. For other interesting articles and health updates check out Latest Health News


Dr. Stacey Burke graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in 1996 with a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. He also holds an International Chiropractic Sports Science Diploma (I.C.S.S.D.). He is the co-founder of West Coast Family Chiropractic in Hillarys, Perth Western Australia.
Dr. Burke has had a passion for health, Chiropractic and nutrition from an early age. Always involved in sport he has completed the gruelling Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championships on two separate occassions, and is a six-time Ironman Triathlon finisher. He has also competed in several marathons including the Boston Marathon. Ice hockey still remains close to his heart and he still likes to play "oldtimers" hockey as often as he can. He regularly cycles and loves the West Australian people and lifestyle. His goal is to help people restore and maintain their health, and the health of their families and community through natural chiropractic methods, community outreach, and education.

Juicing is the Key to Radiant Health

by: Alex Howard, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews) Juicing is the vital key to giving you a radiant, energetic life and truly optimal health. There are valuable and sensitive micronutrients that are damaged when you heat foods. Cooking and processing food destroys these micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. However, it is important not to see juice as a meal replacement - it is not. You still need to eat whole vegetables and some fruit for fiber, but this should not deter you from juicing.

*Most of us have compromised intestines as a result of less than optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body`s ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to "pre-digest" them for you so you will receive most of the nutrition.
*You need to eat one pound of raw vegetables per 50 pounds of body weight per day. Vegetable juicing allows you to accomplish this, as you can eat more vegetables than you would normally. Reaching this goal through eating whole vegetables and salad alone is hard!

About a pint per day is ideally recommended. Always have the juice 20 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after a meal to allow digestion. A pint all at once makes less work cleaning up the juicer of course, but if a pint all at once is too much, it is fine to spread it out to more than one glass per day- it just takes slightly more effort!

Juicing is a time-consuming process, so you`ll probably be thinking to yourself, "I wonder if I can juice first thing and then drink it later?" This isn`t a great idea. Vegetable juice is very perishable so it`s best to drink all of your juice immediately. However, if you`re careful you can store it for up to 24 hours with only moderate nutritional decline. To store your juice:

1. Put your juice in a glass jar with an airtight lid and fill it to the very top. There should be a minimum amount of air in the jar as the oxygen in air (air is about 20 percent oxygen) will "oxidize" and damage the juice.
2. Wrap the jar with aluminum foil to block out all light. Light damages the juice.
3. Store it in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes prior to drinking, as vegetable juice should be consumed at room temperature.

Step 1: Now that you`re ready for the benefits of vegetable juice, you need to know what to juice.
Start out with these vegetables, as they are the easiest to digest:
- 5 sticks of celery (good source of sodium, antioxidants)
- Fennel (can help stomach cramps and indigestion, is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, can improve liver regeneration and is useful for upper respiratory catarrh, bronchitis and coughs
- A cucumber (good source of potassium, antioxidants)
- 1-2 carrots (anti-oxidants)
- 1 apple (anti-oxidants, anti-cancer cardio-protective)
- Raw ginger to taste (anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory)

These aren`t as beneficial as the more nutritionally intense dark green vegetables. The carrot and apple are optional - if you can, leave them out, but if you need to sweeten the juice, use these - but always ensure the juice is MOSTLY vegetable-based. Once you get used to these vegetables, you can start adding the more nutritionally valuable, but less palatable, vegetables into your juice.

Vegetables to avoid in excess include carrots and beetroot. If you are healthy, you can add about one carrot or beetroot per pint of juice. The deep, intense colors of these foods provide additional benefits for many that are just not available in the green vegetables listed above.

Please remember that vegetable juice and fruit juices are two completely different substances in terms of nutrition. Excessive fruit in juices should be avoided. Although vegetable juice is processed, it doesn`t raise insulin levels like fruit juice. The only exceptions are carrot and beetroot juice (and most vegetables that grow underground), which function similarly to fruit juice in excess.

Step 2: When you have acclimatized yourself to juicing, you can start adding these vegetables:
- Red leaf lettuce
- Green leaf lettuce
- Romaine lettuce
- Endive
- Raw beetroot
- Spinach

Step 3: After you are used to these, then go to the next step:
- Cabbage
- Chinese Cabbage
- Bok Choy

Step 4: When you are ready, move on to adding herbs to your juicing. Herbs also make wonderful combinations, and there are two that work exceptionally well:
- Parsley
- Coriander
You need to be cautious with coriander, as many cannot tolerate it well. If you are new to juicing, hold off. These are more challenging vegetables to consume, but they are highly beneficial.

Step 5: The last step: Only use one or two of these leaves, as they are very bitter:
- Kale
- Collard Greens
- Dandelion Greens
- Mustard Greens (bitter)

www.healingdaily.com/juicing-for-he...
www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/juici...
www.living-foods.com/articles/benef...

About the author

Alex Howard is author of "WHY ME? My Journey from M.E. to Health and Happiness" and founder of The Optimum Health Clinic, an award winning clinic specialising in M.E./C.F.S./Fibromyalgia based in Harley Street Clinic, London, UK. The clinic has treated over 5,000 patients with M.E./Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia in over twenty-five countries around the world, and is currently running a two year clinical trial in conjunction with two top universities. A free information pack, including a 75 documentary about the clinic and its work, can be ordered from www.FreedomFromME.co.uk

Yours in health,
Dr. Stacey Burke and Dr. Eric Brukwinski 
Doctors of Chiropractic
West Coast Family Chiropractic,
22 Banks Ave, Hillarys, WA 6025, AUSTRALIA 
(08) 9402 8845

Ask The Perth Chiropractor What are muscle cramps?

Perth chiropractor Dr. Eric Brukwinski of West Coast Family Chiropractic http://www.westcoastfamilychiropracti... answers the question "What are muscle cramps?"
A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. When we use the muscles that can be controlled voluntarily, such as those of our arms and legs, they alternately contract and relax as we move our limbs. Muscles that support our head, neck, and trunk contract similarly in a synchronized fashion to maintain our posture. A muscle (or even a few fibers of a muscle) that involuntarily (without consciously willing it) contracts is in a "spasm." If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it becomes a cramp. Muscle cramps cause a visible or palpable hardening of the involved muscle.