You might think of a muscle spasm as a cramp that overstays its welcome.
While a cramp usually relaxes its grip in a matter of minutes once you rest the affected muscle, a spasm can produce days of unrelenting pain and soreness.
A spasm doesn't go away when you straighten the muscle.
And it can strike just about anywhere in the body, for example the neck, the back, the legs, and even the fingers are vulnerable.
For some people, a spasm may signal the existence of an underlying health problem, such as an injury or a neurological disorder.
It takes time for a spasm to subside.
Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to get relief fast.
1.
Ease Into Your Routine Resume activities gradually.
Don't overstress the muscle as soon as the spasm goes away.
Avoid any activity that reproduces the pain.
If necessary, switch to something less challenging.
If you can't go for your usual run because it hurts, then walk instead.
If that goes okay, you can do a little more later on.
2.
Be Prepared The best way to prevent a spasm from recurring is to keep the muscle strong and flexible.
It should be adequately prepared for what it is going to be doing.
Remember to stretch before any physical activity, and do strengthening exercises to help build the muscle up.
If you are an avid athlete, you might want to check with a trainer or coach to make sure that you are using the correct body mechanics for your sport.
3.
Wrap It Up Compressing the affected area with an elastic bandage can prevent the muscle from bleeding internally.
Wrap the area firmly, but not so tightly that the blood supply is reduced.
If the area feels tingly or numb, the bandage is too tight.
4.
Baby Your Body The affected muscle needs rest.
You can ease their workload by positioning your body in a way that allows them to relax.
If you have a back spasm, for example, the best thing that you can do is to lie down.
Standing requires the muscles to work harder.
5.
Rub It In You can add massage to your treatment program after the first 48 hours.
Work the area that has the spasm.
But do not overdo it.
The massage should be gentle and relaxing, no pain, no digging too dep.
If you are too vigorous, the muscle will spasm again because you are hurting it.
6.
Get Back On Your Feet You do not want to lie around and do nothing for too long.
Prolonged bed rest can promote muscle weakness.
If your pain is so bad that you feel you have to stay in bed all the time, you should see your doctor.
7.
Turn Up The Heat You don't want to apply heat to a spasm right when it starts since that could increase the inflammatory response.
But after the first 48 hours, heat applications can help the muscles relax by increasing the blood flow and getting more nutrients to it.
It is recommended to use heat in the morning, when the muscle is stiff, and ice in the later day, when the muscle may be sore.
Place a damp towel over a heating pad to create moist heat.
Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat two or three times a day.
Hot baths and showers can also be helpful.
While a cramp usually relaxes its grip in a matter of minutes once you rest the affected muscle, a spasm can produce days of unrelenting pain and soreness.
A spasm doesn't go away when you straighten the muscle.
And it can strike just about anywhere in the body, for example the neck, the back, the legs, and even the fingers are vulnerable.
For some people, a spasm may signal the existence of an underlying health problem, such as an injury or a neurological disorder.
It takes time for a spasm to subside.
Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to get relief fast.
1.
Ease Into Your Routine Resume activities gradually.
Don't overstress the muscle as soon as the spasm goes away.
Avoid any activity that reproduces the pain.
If necessary, switch to something less challenging.
If you can't go for your usual run because it hurts, then walk instead.
If that goes okay, you can do a little more later on.
2.
Be Prepared The best way to prevent a spasm from recurring is to keep the muscle strong and flexible.
It should be adequately prepared for what it is going to be doing.
Remember to stretch before any physical activity, and do strengthening exercises to help build the muscle up.
If you are an avid athlete, you might want to check with a trainer or coach to make sure that you are using the correct body mechanics for your sport.
3.
Wrap It Up Compressing the affected area with an elastic bandage can prevent the muscle from bleeding internally.
Wrap the area firmly, but not so tightly that the blood supply is reduced.
If the area feels tingly or numb, the bandage is too tight.
4.
Baby Your Body The affected muscle needs rest.
You can ease their workload by positioning your body in a way that allows them to relax.
If you have a back spasm, for example, the best thing that you can do is to lie down.
Standing requires the muscles to work harder.
5.
Rub It In You can add massage to your treatment program after the first 48 hours.
Work the area that has the spasm.
But do not overdo it.
The massage should be gentle and relaxing, no pain, no digging too dep.
If you are too vigorous, the muscle will spasm again because you are hurting it.
6.
Get Back On Your Feet You do not want to lie around and do nothing for too long.
Prolonged bed rest can promote muscle weakness.
If your pain is so bad that you feel you have to stay in bed all the time, you should see your doctor.
7.
Turn Up The Heat You don't want to apply heat to a spasm right when it starts since that could increase the inflammatory response.
But after the first 48 hours, heat applications can help the muscles relax by increasing the blood flow and getting more nutrients to it.
It is recommended to use heat in the morning, when the muscle is stiff, and ice in the later day, when the muscle may be sore.
Place a damp towel over a heating pad to create moist heat.
Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat two or three times a day.
Hot baths and showers can also be helpful.
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