Muscle Spasm & Cramps Solutions
What is a Muscle Spasm and a Muscle Cramp?
If you’re looking for a muscle spasm solution, it helps to first understand what a muscle spasm or cramp is. A muscle spasm is simply a shorter version of a muscle cramp. This means it may last just a few seconds, through to a few minutes. It will often feel like a spike or jolt of pain, accompanied by an obvious tightening in the affected muscle.
A muscle cramp is a sudden, forceful, and involuntary contraction of muscle. Leg cramps are very common and can often affect people at night. A sustained cramp can affect someone anywhere in the body, including the lower back, neck, or shoulder.
Causes of Cramp & Muscle Spasms
Chemical or Neurological Causes
It’s important to note that recurrent or unexplained cramps can be caused by chemical imbalance or a neurological condition. These cramps are often worse at night and mostly affect the lower leg. During your consultation, your practitioner will often discuss lifestyle factors such as hydration and exercise. Remember that tea, coffee, and alcohol can all contribute to dehydration. Certain medications can also list cramping or spasming as a possible side effect.
If there is any suspicion that these factors are causing your condition, then you should refer back to your GP.
Mechanical Causes
The second major cause of cramp and spasm is a perceived threat to that area of the body. When your body has a site of damage, it will naturally work to protect the area. This can range from poor posture to a severe fall. Muscle cramping or spasming is a completely normal reaction to that threat. It is not always a bad thing. You may need this protection, for example, if you have sprained a joint. Quite often, though, the spasm or cramping is undesired because it is an overreaction.
This is especially true if the spasm comes out of the blue, as it so often does. It’s our job to work out why and provide a muscle spasm solution.
Relief Chiropractic Muscle Spasm Solution for Spasms & Cramps
In the acutely painful stages, you may need medication as a muscle spasm solution to help you through the more severe spasms or cramps. Painkillers or muscle relaxants are sometimes essential to allow your body to stop overreacting. If the spasm is the result of a fall or trauma, we may also advise you to have an X-ray. There is always a reason for them happening.
At Relief, we work together to focus in on the primary problem causing the cramp or spasm. By doing this, through chiropractic and massage therapy, we can allow your body to heal naturally, where possible, without having to resort to medication, surgery, or other invasive interventions.
Cramp or Muscle Spasm Solution
As you can imagine, chiropractic treatment for spasm and cramps depends entirely on the cause. A cramp caused by a lack of hydration may mean that proper exercise and lifestyle changes clear it up within a few weeks, perhaps with acupuncture or massage as appropriate to support muscle health. Where appropriate, maintaining flexibility can also be useful, and our guide explains the importance of stretching in more detail.
However, regular muscle spasms caused by a chronic dysfunction of the lower spine might suggest a course of chiropractic adjustment over a period of 1 to 2 months, depending on the case.
Massage Therapy for Muscle Spasm and Muscle Cramp
Massage therapy works directly with the muscular tissue, as well as the nearby tendons and other soft tissues. Sometimes a massage on the muscles surrounding the area is exactly what is needed to reduce pain and support the general health of the muscle. This can help reduce spasms and cramps, particularly if the problem is localised to that area.
What’s The Bottom Line?
Chiropractic care is proven to be an effective muscle spasm solution, and other treatments at Relief may also be beneficial. We would generally suggest that muscle cramps and spasm are not normal, and that it is worth seeking a professional opinion.
Book a visit with our Cambridge Chiropractor
If you live in or near Cambridge and have pain or other symptoms, or if you want to improve the function of your body, chiropractic is a safe and very effective solution. If you’d like to learn more about whether chiropractic care is right for you, book a consultation or a FREE telephone call with our principal chiropractor, where the process of our chiropractic care will be explained fully. There is no obligation to continue with the visits.