Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasms are painful, involuntary skeletal muscle contractions associated with abnormal electrical activity.
Evaluating Your Condition
WHAT CAUSES MUSCLE SPASMS?
Muscle spasms may have diverse causes and are more commonly found in patients with well-developed muscles. Most commonly, muscle spasms may be attributed to electrolyte abnormalities or dehydration, or overuse. Spasms often occur abruptly, are short lived, and are intense and often painful. There are other causes of muscle spasms including injury or trauma, as well as medical conditions including hypothyroidism, and cirrhosis of liver and renal disease, amongst others.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MUSCLE SPASMS?
- Intense pain in area of muscle spasm that may last seconds or minutes
- Bulging tight muscle may be palpated where the spasm occurs
- Muscle twitching
- May be confined to smaller muscles of the hand (writer’s cramp) or larger muscle groups of the low back and neck
