Treating Muscle Spasms

Muscle spasms are rapid, uncontrolled and painful contractions occurring spontaneously with little no stimulation. The main causes of muscle spasms are strenuous exercise, stress, fatigue and dehydration. Other contributory factors include working in high heat and humidity, inadequate blood supply, injury or muscle strain and excessive intake of alcohol, drugs and medication. Muscle spasms symptom includes tightness in the muscle and a feeling of a muscle knot. Muscle spasms or cramps during a physical activity can be exceedingly painful if the muscle is used.

A muscle spasm can last for several minutes affecting any group of muscle but is most commonly seen in calves, feet, hands and joints that are flexible to reflexes and movements. Back muscle spasm is a symptom of lumbar strain or ligament sprain of the lower back. Back muscle spasms are the result of poor posture and conditioning of the body, obesity, smoking and improper lifting of heavy weights. Some activities like working on the computer intensely for prolonged periods of time result in back pain with muscle spasms along with neck muscle spasms. Alterations in the physical structure of the body such as flat feet, hyper-extended knees and joints with hyper mobility can also be predisposing factors for leg muscle spasms. Leg muscle spasm is also known to be associated with prolonged sitting, improper leg position during an activity and standing on concrete flooring for prolonged periods of time. Night sweats and muscle spasms in legs is a typical symptom of rest associated cramps in older adults and women attaining menopause.

Stomach muscle spasm commonly occurs in children due to the intake of large amounts of processed foods exceeding what can be digested by the stomach. In aged individuals chest spasms are a usual occurrence. The most common cause of muscle spasm in chest is oxygen starvation of the cardiac muscle because of the contraction of the coronary artery delivering the required blood volume to the pumping muscle.

Muscle spasms generally recede by themselves; however the process can be aided by stopping the activity that triggered the spasm, gently stretching the affected muscle, keeping the area moving lightly, and gentle massage over the affected area and applying heat to promote blood flow. Drinking plenty of water around 8 to 10 glasses a day and intake of appropriate quantities of minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium through fruits or mineral salts are considered to be the natural remedies for muscle spasms.