What is a Muscle Spasm?
When you move generally muscles tense and relax to help you dunk a basketball or reach for your alarm clock. Injury and illness can cause nearly any voluntary muscle in the body to tense up and fail to relax again. The tension can be constant or distinctive throbbing. Twitches, tremors, and similar feelings are a separate problem that needs to be handled separately. Muscle spasms are uncomfortable and usually noticeable, but may go unnoticed for months or even years.
Muscle Spasm Symptoms
- Inflamed and tensed muscles can trigger a wide range of disruptive symptoms which include:
- Involuntary contractions that make your hands or feet jerk
- Pain in the back, neck, arms, wrists, calves, feet, or practically any other body part
- Lack of response to stretching, which usually resolves minor muscle spasms
- Tightness and irritation in the muscles
- Loss of muscle movement and flexibility during the spasm
- Spasms that occur during exercise, certain times of the day, or when you are resting.
Cause of Muscle Spasms
Any activity that causes your muscles to become overworked can lead to painful but temporary spasms.
- Alcoholism
- Renal diseases or obstructions
- Artery blockages and narrowing that interferes with blood flow to the muscles
- Diabetes and other chronic illnesses
- Dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance
- A wide variety of medications
- Heat, especially if you are exercising in it
- Repetitive activities or muscle strain
- New activities and movements that is unfamiliar to you.
Home remedies to treat muscle spam
Muscle spasms are common during winters and most people get painful spasms during nights. Although they may last just for a few seconds, it can be quite frustrating to deal with spasms every time. But before you grab those painkillers (medications and sprays), try some easy and effective natural remedies get relief. Apart from being easily available in your home, these natural remedies for muscle spasms are quick in action and comparatively safe.
Ice-pack
You may also undo muscle spasms with ice as it acts an effective pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory agent. All you need to do is massage the area with ice for no more than 10 minutes or until the area is bright red, which indicates that blood cells have returned to heat the cramped muscle.
Turmeric and alum
Turmeric is one of the most potent antiseptic compounds which are widely used as a pain reliever, while alum is well-known for its soothing and blood thinning property. When the two are combined, they provide effective result against muscle spasms. Apply a thick past of turmeric and alum over the affected area. Do not massage the area and leave it to dry. Doing this at least twice a day for two days aid in reducing pain and swelling due to muscle spasms. Here’s how to get instant relief from muscle spasms with turmeric and alum.
Warm compress
Another age-old remedy to combat muscle pain caused due to spasms is to try warm compress. This is because, heat improves superficial blood circulation and makes muscles more flexible, so some people find that heat is more soothing for muscle spasms than ice. Applying a heating pad on the affected muscle area for not more than 10 minutes or even a warm shower or bath, might do the trick for you.
Wintergreen oil
Wintergreen oil (which is available in the market) contains a compound known as methyl salicylate, which acts as a powerful pain reliever along with stimulating blood flow. To reap its pain relieving properties, mix two teaspoon of wintergreen oil to eight teaspoons of vegetable oil (any oil will do) and massage the affected area. Do this several times a day to attain quick relief.
Drumstick leaves
Drumstick leaves significantly reduce pain and cramping due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Apart from improving the flow of blood, drumstick renders a wide range of health benefits. Take a few drumstick leaves, wash and crush them to extract their juice. Now, massage the area with this juice. Alternatively you can slightly warm drumstick leaves, put them in a muslin cloth and tie this cloth around the area to relieve pain.
Salt
Easily available in any household, common salt is an amazing home remedy to get rid of muscle spasms. As lack of sodium in the body triggers muscle cramping, intake of fluids containing salt might do the trick. All you need to do is add 2-3 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon juice to a litre of water and drink this solution at intervals to get rid of spasms. You can also apply salt pack (heat a fistful of salt over a pan, put it in a cloth) over the affected for relief.
Stretching
Stretching is one of the most amazing and effective home remedy to beat muscle spasms of various parts of the body namely legs, arms, thighs, calf and palm. Do some stretching exercises for at least 5 to 10 minutes (as warm-up and cool-down periods) to combat pain.
Spasms or tingling which comes and go deserve an investigation. Make an appointment with physical consultant if you start experiencing spasms and also muscle pain on a regular basis. Discovering the cause could help you enjoy fewer sore calves and less low back pain.
