Contents
A muscle cramp/spasm is an involuntary contraction of one or more muscles. Seizures can occur due to overwork, excessive exercise, insufficient blood supply, or nerve compression. What you need to know about muscle cramps, can they be prevented, and in what cases is it better to consult a doctor?
General information about the muscular corset
Muscles are part of the musculoskeletal system. Their job is to constantly reduce. Each specific muscle is responsible for the functionality of a particular part of the body. If we need to raise our hand, speak, take a breath or lie down – the elastic elastic muscle tissue contracts and allows us to perform the desired action. Muscle contraction is controlled by nerve impulses. Before a person makes a light wave of his hand, the nervous system in a split second will generate the necessary signal and literally “force” the muscle to contract.
Muscles cannot constantly work for wear and tear. They are characterized by fatigue that appears after prolonged intensive work or previously unfamiliar load. To keep the muscle corset in good shape, you need to monitor nutrition, have a good rest and move more.
What are muscle cramps?
A cramp or spasm is a sudden, brief contraction of one or more muscles. The contraction can occur at rest, during sleep, during or after exercise. The process can last from a few seconds to a quarter of an hour, until the muscle goes into a relaxed state. Most often, a spasmodic contraction involves a muscle group that is activated when performing a specific movement (for example, when bending the fingers or raising the foot).
Almost every person at least once faced with a muscle cramp. They appear in absolutely healthy people, regardless of age, social group or the presence of concomitant diseases. Any muscle that is responsible for movement, and therefore controlled by the brain, undergoes involuntary contraction. Neurons are mainly involved in the regulation of muscle activity, but in some cases, hormones (for example, oxytocin during childbirth or adrenaline in stressful situations) indirectly control smooth muscle contraction.
The causes of cramps can be as diverse as possible – fatigue after training, dehydration, muscle strain, staying in the same body position for a long time. But the emergence of an impulse is not always associated with any external influence. Sometimes this happens autonomously at a neural level.
You should not be afraid of spasms or meticulously look for problems in the body if this is a one-time phenomenon. A muscle cramp is harmless unless it causes pain, significant discomfort, skin changes, or disability. The above symptoms may indicate pathological causes of spasm.
Pathological causes of development
Involuntary muscle contractions may indicate:
- Dystonia. This is one of the most common movement disorders. There is a constant spasmodic contraction of muscles in the body that cannot be controlled. Spasms can change the normal position of the body, cause pain and disability.
- Depletion of vital resources. Cramps can indicate a lack of minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. To replenish the level of nutrients, consult a doctor and take the necessary tests.
- Pinched nerve. Pinching occurs when excessive pressure is exerted on the nerve by the surrounding tissue. Pressure impairs nerve function, causing tingling, numbness, cramps, pain, and fatigue.
- Tetany. This is a general medical term that includes associated sensory disturbances. Spasms during tetany develop in a whole group of muscles, are characterized by increased resistance and duration.
- Lack of blood supply. Most often, a lack of blood supply indicates vascular pathologies. See your doctor to confirm or refute the diagnosis.
- Drug intoxication. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco products, narcotic substances affects not only the functionality of the muscles, but also the state of health in general. With the most intense attacks, the body cannot cope on its own and needs emergency medical care.
- Phantom spasm. False feeling of muscle contraction.
Risk Factors
The risk of muscle spasms is especially high in older patients, pregnant women and athletes. Why? The muscular corset of an adult is not as dense and responsive as that of a young man. This is due to the natural aging process and the reduction in the production of important structural elements.
Older people lose muscle mass faster, and the muscles themselves do not always tolerate the load favorably.
Involuntary contractions increase during pregnancy. There are only two reasons for this. Firstly, the woman’s body begins to gradually grow, which means that the load on the entire musculoskeletal system increases. Secondly, the mother’s body “divides” all the macro- and microelements into two. Sometimes women suffer from a banal lack of nutrients, which leads to muscle spasms.
Frequent convulsions in athletes may indicate an overstrain of the muscular and nervous system. To avoid this, you should dose the load, monitor nutrition, water balance and have a good rest. Also at high risk are patients suffering from diabetes, nervous disorders, diseases of the thyroid gland and liver.
When should you see a doctor?
In most cases, muscle cramps do not pose a danger to the body and do not indicate any disease. If the spasm is accompanied by increased soreness, swelling, bruising, changes in skin tone, or excessive weakness, see your doctor. Any symptoms that you have not previously experienced and cannot explain need to be diagnosed.
preventive measures
It will not be possible to completely get rid of muscle spasms. The process is autonomous and regulated by the nervous system, not by human consciousness. We can only prevent the physiological factors in the development of seizures. How to do it?
The first step is to adjust your lifestyle. Start moving more, sign up for a gym or dance to keep your core muscles in good shape. If you don’t have time to visit activities, do exercises regularly, try to walk more, refuse the elevator, and so on. Stretch regularly to make your muscles supple, supple, and more resilient. Do not forget about replenishing the water balance. This is especially important to consider after training, when the body’s energy supply is exhausted.
Prevention of spasms is closely related to the rejection of the use of psychostimulants. These include caffeine, nicotine and ethyl alcohol. All these substances cause irritation of the nervous system, which means they provoke increased excitability of neurons, which cause spasm. In general, the prevention of involuntary muscle contractions is closely related to a healthy lifestyle. Following the basic rules will not only relieve discomfort, but will give lightness, energy and maximum productivity.