Muscle Spasm Associated with Musculoskeletal Conditions
What is a muscle spasm?
Muscle spasm is a condition by which a muscle contracts involuntarily and does not relax. A muscle spasm can occur in any muscle in the body. Other common names for muscle spasm include muscle cramp and charley horse (particularly when it occurs in one’s leg).
What causes a muscle spasm?
A wide range of factors can trigger a muscle spasm, such as heavy exercise or injuries that cause a muscle to be strained, stretched, pulled tightly, or ruptured.
What is a musculoskeletal condition?
The term “musculoskeletal” refers to muscle and bone. An example of a painful musculoskeletal condition is mechanical low back or neck pain (also known as strain, and often associated with muscle spasm).
How common are muscle spasms?
Muscle spasm is a common and often painful condition, which anyone can get. Muscle spasm can occur regardless of the activity: exercising, working, or even doing routine chores. In a nationwide survey of adults, 83 percent said they have experienced a muscle spasm, and half of them reported they had experienced another episode of muscle spasm within three months of the original spasm.
Muscle spasm and pain are common in people with low back or neck strains. These are called musculoskeletal conditions because they involve muscle, bone and the connective tissue.
How are muscle spasms treated?
There are many treatments for muscle spasms that are associated with acute painful conditions. Effective treatment may include rest, physical therapy, and medicines to relieve the pain and treat the muscle spasm. These may include:
- Over-the-counter medicines like aspirin and ibuprofen (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs)
- Prescription muscle relaxers — also known as skeletal muscle relaxants — are often used in combination with rest and physical therapy. Muscle relaxers ease tightening in the muscle to reduce discomfort and pain caused by muscle spasm
- Steroids
- Prescription pain medicines
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