Muscle spasms occur due to the body’s natural protection mechanism. It gives a feeling of being pulled or strained. The pain in the muscle is felt instantly with severity. When the muscle is unable to relax and lose itself, it results in contraction. The contraction releases pain in the muscle. The pain may be different for the type of muscle spasm. It varies from burning to sharp stabbing to tightness, numbness, and pain in the muscle.
Symptoms
Muscle spasms can result in a lot of pain due to the tightness of the muscle. Other symptoms may include:
- The muscle becomes hard to touch
- Difficulty in walking and standing
- Numbness in leg
- Visibly distorted muscle
- Twitching in the affected muscle
- Soreness of muscle
Common causes of muscle spasm
Some common causes of muscle spasms include:
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Strain or injury in muscle
If a person does repetitive and heavy exercise then it can cause strain in the back causing muscle spasm. Some sports like heavy lifting can cause injury in the soft tissues of the muscles in the back.
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Disturbance in your spinal anatomy
If the back spasms are constantly coming back and happening in the same area of the back then some underlying issue is involved like disk herniation or arthritis etc.
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Weak back muscles
Abdominal and back muscles support the back and prevent any kind of strain. Weak and stiff muscles can be strained easily. Stretching the affected area can improve the spasm from occurring.
Treatments to get rid of muscle spasms
There are various ways to treat muscles strain or injury. They include:
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Massage
Massaging the affected muscle using mildly hot oil through rubbing and pinching can relieve muscle cramps easily. Try pinching the area and hold on to it tightly till the muscle is relaxed. It will give you instant relief.
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Over-the-counter non-prescription remedies
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs bring relief to muscle strain. They reduce inflammation and pain in the muscle. Vitamin B-12, salt tablets, and magnesium help prevent muscle spasms. These supplements are taken to relax the muscle. You can easily get them from a mail order pharmacy like 90daymeds which is a Canadian pharmacy.
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Ice or heat therapy
An ice pack or heating pad on the affected muscle can easily relieve the pain. Applying the ice pack covered in a towel on the muscle for 20 minutes can significantly reduce the strained muscle.
