What causes muscle spasms?

Muscle spasm refers to the phenomenon of sudden, involuntary muscle contraction, which can cause muscle stiffness and unbearable pain. The true mechanism of muscle cramps has not yet been determined. Most research results believe that muscle cramps are caused by a decrease in nerve or neuromuscular stress threshold, which causes a sudden increase in the frequency of muscle nerve action, resulting in muscle tonic contraction.

Symptoms: Night cramps, including cramps that occur in any static situation, such as while sleeping or sitting still. This type of cramp often occurs in the gastrocnemius and some small muscles of the foot. This kind of cramp is sometimes caused by the voluntary activity of the mental muscles causing the patient's feet to move. Heat cramp: This type of cramp is associated with dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes in the body. This type of cramp most commonly occurs in athletes, especially when exercising in hot weather. Typical heat stroke convulsions occur after one or two hours of working in a hot environment; heat stroke convulsions may even occur within 18 hours after the end of the activity, and muscle abnormalities may persist for several days. phenomenon. Heat cramps are more likely to occur in the large muscles of the hands, arms and legs. Sometimes some female sprinters will also have heat cramps in the abdominal wall.

Reasons:

The following situations are more likely to cause muscle spasms: 1. Continue to exercise when muscles are fatigued after long-term exercise. 2. Poor local circulation. 3. Excessive loss of water and salt. 4. Severe diarrhea, vomiting and insufficient mineral content (such as magnesium, calcium) in the diet. 5. The ambient temperature changes suddenly. 6. Minor laceration of muscle or tendon. 7. Excessive emotional stress. 8. Playing sports with inappropriate posture or poor muscle coordination. 9. Some chronic diseases and pregnant women will also have an increased incidence of cramps, so be careful.

Prevention:

Methods to prevent cramps: 1. Do not do prolonged or intense exercise in poorly ventilated or confined spaces. 2. Sufficient water and electrolyte replenishment are required before, during and after long-term exercise. 3. Get enough minerals (such as calcium, magnesium) and electrolytes (such as potassium, sodium) in your daily diet. Minerals can be obtained from milk, yogurt, green leafy vegetables and other foods. Electrolytes can be obtained from bananas, oranges, celery, natural foods, etc. or some low-sugar drinks. 4. Do not wear clothes that are too tight or too heavy for sports or work. 5. Before exercising, check whether protective tapes, sheaths, shoes and socks are too tight. 6. Do adequate preparatory exercises and stretching exercises before exercising. 7. Proper insulation is required after exercising in cold weather. For example, after swimming, you should change into your swimsuit immediately and wear warm clothing. 8. Engage in sports or work in a relaxed mood. 9. Those who are prone to cramps when sleeping at night should do some stretching exercises before going to bed, especially stretching of the parts prone to cramps. 10. Don’t overdo exercises. 11. Give appropriate massage to muscles prone to cramping before exercise. Methods to deal with muscle spasms: The treatment methods can be divided into two parts, one is the acute phase treatment, and the other is the permanent treatment. Treatment in the acute stage: that is, the treatment when cramps occur. The patient needs to rest immediately, gently massage the cramped area, and gently stretch the muscles in the cramped area, because when you stretch the muscles, the tendon will be damaged. The tension increases. When the tension reaches a certain intensity, the nerves transmit impulses to the brain. In order to avoid tendon injury, the brain releases messages to relax the cramped muscles. Do not use excessive force when stretching the muscles to avoid straining the muscles and causing secondary injuries. Short-term muscle cramps can be treated and returned to play, but the possibility of recurrence is still high. If the muscle cramp lasts for a long time, you can use hot or cold compresses to relieve the pain, or locally spray or rub some muscle-relaxing and pain-relieving lotions or ointments are also very effective. If cramps are likely to occur again, you need to consider whether the muscles are overtired or dehydrated. The former requires stopping activities and resting, while the latter requires replenishing water and electrolytes. Treatment of the root cause: People who have cramps must first understand some of their own "history", such as their eating habits, the amount of stress caused by the amount of daily exercise (work), the location of cramps, the weather conditions when cramps occur, etc. Wrestling, The causes of cramps in a free biker or a fencer may be completely different, so the type of sport you are engaged in is also something you need to know to find out the cause of cramps. After integrating all the understanding, find out the cause of cramps, and make preventive and improvement measures to solve the problem of cramps. If you have frequent cramps and cannot find the cause, you must handle it carefully and consult a doctor for a thorough examination, because cramps may be a symptom of some vascular diseases, diabetes, or neurological diseases.