Muscle Spasm, Cramps & Strains: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

What are muscle spasms?

Muscle spasms are spontaneous spasms of muscle groups that occur suddenly. These twitches can be unpleasant and impact a variety of muscles. Muscles on the back of your lower leg, the front of your thigh, and the back of your thigh are commonly impacted.

A cramp’s severe agony can keep you awake at night or create difficulties to walk. The most typical sign of muscle spam is a rapid, acute pain that lasts anywhere from a few seconds to fifteen minutes. A protruding mass of muscular tissue beneath the epidermis can sometimes accompany a spasm.

Muscle cramps are more likely to occur in the following areas of your body:

• Abs
• Feet
• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Hands
• Calves

Causes OF Muscle Spasm

Not Drinking Enough Water

Your muscles are more prone to jerk and cramp if you don’t drink plenty of water. It isn’t just the H2O; when you sweat or lose a huge amount of body fluids while you’re unwell, you lose electrolytes as well, which is another typical cause of muscle spasm.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress is commonly blamed for headaches or sleeplessness, but it can also induce muscle strain and discomfort and may also lead to muscle spasms. To manage stress and anxiety try a soothing approach like massage or yoga.

Insomnia and Tiredness

Muscle spasms and jerks can be one of your body’s ways of letting you know you’re exhausted, tired, weak, or sleep-deprived. Your muscles may also be stiff and sore, or just become feeble in general.

Medication

Your doctor may prescribe water pills, commonly known as diuretics if you have hypertension or heart problems. They cause you to urinate more, lowering your potassium levels and maybe causing muscular cramps. Twitches can also be caused by other drugs, such as antidepressants. Some medicines for psychosis and epilepsy can cause your eyelids to flicker.

Serotonin Syndrome

Talk to your doctor if your muscles begin to spasm within a few hours of starting a new medicine or increasing your dosage. You may have this illness, which occurs when your body stores too much of the serotonin in the brain as a result of certain medications, treatments, or supplements. This is a dangerous problem marked by a high temperature and other symptoms that necessitate medical intervention.

Intake of Lots of Caffeine

Caffeine can help you wake up in the morning and break out of a depression in the afternoon. However, too much can cause muscular jerks throughout your body. Amphetamines and other stimulant medications have similar effects.

Kidney Problem

Kidneys don’t always give you a heads-up that they’re decelerating. Achy muscles, among the other symptoms, may appear when they lose a major amount of their capacity to perform. If you are diabetic, have hypertension, or have other renal problems, consult your doctor if you get cramps.

Neuropathy

Damage to nerve cells alters the way they interact with one another and with the nervous system. Muscle spasms and twitches are indicators that the nerves that govern your muscles are being affected by this frequent problem. It can be inherited, but it can also be caused by an injury, infection, sickness, drunkenness, or some drugs. Neuropathy is most commonly caused by diabetes.

Treatment of Muscle Spams

To lessen the symptoms of muscle aches, apply a warm or cold compress to your painful muscles at the first hint of a cramp. Any of the following can benefit you:

• A warm cloth
• Ice
• Heating pads
• A cold towel

Muscle aches can also be relieved by stretching the afflicted muscle. If your lower leg muscle is twitching, for instance, you can stretch it by pulling your foot upward with the help of your hand. If your discomfort persists, try to take an anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen OTC. Stretching the painful muscles lightly may also assist. Muscle spasms might make it difficult to sleep. If this occurs, consult your doctor about obtaining a prescription muscle relaxant. This medicine relaxes muscles and relieves cramps.

Managing the root cause of muscle spasms might help you feel better and prevent cramps. If low potassium or calcium levels are causing discomfort, your doctor may suggest medications.

Symptoms Of Muscle Cramps

Muscle spasms aren’t always uncomfortable, although they can be. It may appear that the muscle is hopping or moving by itself, but this sensation usually only lasts a few seconds. It may feel as if the entire muscle has locked up and is unable to move. This impact is most prevalent in the legs and can be extremely uncomfortable. It’s possible that the muscle will feel rough to the touch. While the aching sensation usually goes away within a few minutes, the muscle pain may persist for some time.

If a muscle spasm is caused by a neurological problem, the person may likely have additional symptoms as well.

• Paralysis
• Slow movements
• Insomnia
• Poor coordination
• Discomfort in the neck, back, or head
• Numbness of skin
• Double vision
• Muscle weakness
• Neck and Back pain

Bottom Line

You could be suffering from muscle aches for a variety of causes. While cramps are uncomfortable, they are frequent and can be helped by making a few easy lifestyle modifications, such as staying hydrated. If not, schedule an appointment with your clinician to ensure that there aren’t any underlying medical problems that need to be treated.