Muscle spasms can occur unexpectedly, causing pain or discomfort and interrupting daily activities. As specialists in musculoskeletal injuries, chiropractors understand how crucial effective treatment is and want to help you understand muscle spasms and how chiropractic care should be your first choice for relief.
What Are Muscle Spasms?
Muscle spasms, often referred to as muscle cramps, are sudden, involuntary contractions of one or more muscles. They can be caused by several factors, including muscle fatigue, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances or injury. Spasms can affect any muscle but commonly impact the back, neck, legs and feet.
Common Causes and Symptoms
The symptoms of a muscle spasm include sudden pain, muscle tightness and the feeling of a knot in the affected muscle. Spasms can be acute or chronic. Causes vary but often relate to:
- Overuse of a muscle
- Stress or tension
- Inadequate blood flow
- Nerve compression
- Dehydration or mineral deficiency
Chiropractic Care for Muscle Spasms
A holistic approach to treating muscle spasms can not only alleviate pain but can also address the root causes of the spasms to prevent future occurrences. By addressing the cause, you will have much better relief and decrease the possibility of recurrence. Some spasms can occur from dehydration and lack of proper nutrition. You may notice this with nighttime cramping in the legs or significant fatigue during strenuous activity. Repetitive stress such as prolonged working on a computer, excessive cell phone use, knitting or video gameuse can cause tight, tense muscles that can cramp and go into spasm. Most muscle spasms come from irritation to a spinal nerve or malfunction of a joint. Spasms are often triggered to protect the body against further damage. Have you ever bent over and felt sharp pain in your back and then a spasm? This is your body protecting itself from further irritating the nerves, discs or joints.
What to do if you have a spasm. If it is just a cramp from exercise or sleep, immediately stretch and hold the muscle for more than 30 seconds, then hydrate. Spasms that are for protection should be professionally evaluated to determine what is the underlying cause that triggered it. Medications that reduce spasms are engineered to take away this protection making the body more vulnerable to further injury until the underlying cause has been treated.
- Spinal Adjustments correct misalignments in the spine that contribute to nerve compression, which can trigger muscle spasms.
- Stretching Exercises can help relieve tight muscles and reduce the risk of spasms.
- Proper nutrition and hydration are crucial to ensure essential minerals and fluids that can help prevent spasms.
Muscle spasms can be more than just a nuisance – they can be a barrier to enjoying life to its fullest. Listen to your body, hydrate, stretch and see a chiropractor.
