What's the difference between contraction and cramp?

Contraction


Definition:

  • (n.) The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the heart, of the pupil of the eye, or of a tendion; the contraction produced by cold.
  • (n.) The process of shortening an operation.
  • (n.) The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease.
  • (n.) Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc.
  • (n.) The shortening of a word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as, ne'er for never; can't for can not; don't for do not; it's for it is.
  • (n.) A marriage contract.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) During the performance of propulsive waves of the oesophagus the implanted vagus nerve caused clonic to tetanic contractions of the sternohyoid muscle, thus proving the oesophagomotor genesis of the reinnervating nerve fibres.
  • (2) But RWE admitted it had often only been able to retain customers with expired contracts by offering them new deals with more favourable conditions.
  • (3) Thus adrenaline, via pre- and post-junctional adrenoceptors, may contribute to enhanced vascular smooth muscle contraction, which most likely is sensitized by the elevated intracellular calcium concentration.
  • (4) Further, the maximal increase in force of contraction was measured using papillary muscle strips from some of these patients.
  • (5) When subjects centered themselves actively, or additionally, contracted trunk flexor or extensor muscles to predetermined levels of activity, no increase in trunk positioning accuracy was found.
  • (6) Twitch-tetanus ratios were calculated and found not to be related to unit contraction time.6.
  • (7) Selective removal of endothelium had no effect on BK-induced contraction or the action of the antagonists.
  • (8) The increased muscular strength in due to a rise of calcaemia, improved muscle contraction and probably also due to the mentioned nutritional factors.
  • (9) However, there was not a relationship between the contraction curve of the gallbladder and the bile flow into the duodenum.
  • (10) In in vitro preparations GABA (10(-7) - 10(-3) M) elicited a dose-dependent relaxation; a decrease in the spontaneous contractions was sometimes observed.
  • (11) There was no correlation between disturbed gastric clearance, impaired gall bladder contraction, and prolonged colonic transit time in the patients with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy nor was there a correlation between any disturbed motor function and age or duration of diabetes.
  • (12) Noradrenaline decreased the phasic contraction amplitude of the circular muscle and exerted a stimulant effect on the tone which suggested an existence of two alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes.
  • (13) It may, however, be useful to compare local wall dynamics in the more isometrically-contracting basal segment with those in the middle portion which brings about most of the emptying of the ventricle.
  • (14) Upon depletion of ATP in contraction, the P2 intensity reverted to the original rigor level, accompanied by development of rigor tension.
  • (15) L-NAME abolished B contractions in a dose-dependent fashion.
  • (16) The power spectrum of the EMG was analyzed during isometric contractions of the shoulder muscles.
  • (17) A23187 had only a transient effect on KCl-contracted coronary arteries.
  • (18) When caffeine evokes a contraction, and only then, crayfish muscle fibers become refractory to a second challenge with caffeine for up to 20 min in the standard saline (5 mM K(o)).
  • (19) Dopamine at concentrations over 10(-5)M induced contractions of tracheal muscle strips and repeated exposures resulted in desensitization (tachyphylaxis) of the muscle.
  • (20) In the present study we examined cholecystokinin release and gallbladder contraction after oral administration of a commercial fatty meal (Sorbitract; Dagra, Diemen, The Netherlands) using ultrasonography in eight normal subjects and eight gallstone patients before and after 1 and 4 weeks of treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (10 mg kg-1.day-1).

Cramp


Definition:

  • (n.) That which confines or contracts; a restraint; a shackle; a hindrance.
  • (n.) A device, usually of iron bent at the ends, used to hold together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.; a cramp iron.
  • (n.) A rectangular frame, with a tightening screw, used for compressing the joints of framework, etc.
  • (n.) A piece of wood having a curve corresponding to that of the upper part of the instep, on which the upper leather of a boot is stretched to give it the requisite shape.
  • (n.) A spasmodic and painful involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles, as of the leg.
  • (v. t.) To compress; to restrain from free action; to confine and contract; to hinder.
  • (v. t.) To fasten or hold with, or as with, a cramp.
  • (v. t.) to bind together; to unite.
  • (v. t.) To form on a cramp; as, to cramp boot legs.
  • (v. t.) To afflict with cramp.
  • (n.) Knotty; difficult.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) He said: “Almost daily we hear from parents desperate to escape the single cramped room of a B&B or hostel that they find themselves struggling to raise their children in.
  • (2) Toxicity included an increase in body weight, cushingoid effects, muscle cramps, and tremors in both groups.
  • (3) Primary amenorrhea and cyclic, cramping lower abdominal pain was the common symptoms of all the patients.
  • (4) The 1st gynecologic consultant was called after the patient experienced severe cramps and passage of part of a placenta.
  • (5) Among the observed side effects were moderate pelvic cramps (20.9%), nausea (27%), fainting (4.8%); 61.3% of the women complained of fatigue.
  • (6) When there's a very limited stock of social housing, and very long waiting lists for people who need it, and lots of big families living in very cramped conditions, that isn't wrong at all.
  • (7) They also complained of exercise-induced stiffening and cramps of their leg muscles.
  • (8) Mark Leech, editor of ConVerse , the national newspaper for prisoners, said the former MP should expect "to find himself in a prison reception that is cramped, cold and busy – with up to 200 prisoners being processed each day".
  • (9) Despite a cramping, high-concept production set in a psychiatric ward, Richardson gave us a Richard resembling a monstrous child whose ravening will had yet to be curbed by social custom.
  • (10) He took Jessica's mobile out of her pocket; he carried their bodies down the stairs and, after checking no one was around, bundled them into the cramped boot of his car, bending their legs to fit them in; he collected petrol and bin bags (to protect his feet and thus conceal evidence); he drove to Lakenheath and found a lonely track; he got out where the vegetation grew thickly and he rolled the two girls down into the ditch; he climbed into the ditch and cut off their clothing - their red football shirts and their tracksuit trousers, their knickers, Holly's black bra which she and her mother had bought the day before - and then he poured petrol over their bodies and threw on a match.
  • (11) For chronic phantom and stump pain, burning sensations are treated with interventions designed to increase blood flow to the residual limb, whereas cramping sensations are treated with interventions that reduce muscle spasms.
  • (12) Post-prandial cramping abdominal pain may be an early symptom of thrombosis, demanding immediate anticoagulation.
  • (13) Our purpose was to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of single oral doses of ketoprofen 25, 50, and 100 mg compared with aspirin 650 mg and placebo in the relief of moderate to severe postepisiotomy, uterine cramping, or cesarean section pain.
  • (14) Photograph: Rozena Crossman Despite its small size, the café has a lighter and more modern atmosphere than the cramped bookshop next door, a famous hub for influential writers.
  • (15) The four-bedroom apartments are cramped and austere, but they sell for more than $100,000.
  • (16) Epidural morphine is used for postcesarean analgesia, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are frequently administered to relieve uterine cramps after vaginal delivery.
  • (17) Subjective symptoms of venous hypertension were assessed by an analogue scale line considering four symptoms: swelling sensation, restless lower extremity, pain and cramps, and tiredness.
  • (18) Tommy Banks, Bolton's left back, was exhausted by his efforts to halt Matthews, contracting cramp in his shins, and four times leaving the field for treatment in the final quarter hour.
  • (19) 65% (140) quit because of side effects, usually pregnancy-like symptoms (such as nausea or weight gain), or menstrual symptoms (such as hemorrhaging or cramps).
  • (20) Funes Mori will commence a three-match ban on Saturday, John Stones was forced out of the derby with stomach cramps, Phil Jagielka is recovering from a hamstring strain and Seamus Coleman is almost certainly out with a similar injury.