4 Drug-Free Treatment Options For Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasms can be uncomfortable, annoying and can seriously interrupt your life. There are several causes of muscle spasms you need to be aware of, and several ways in which you find relief.
Muscles can become strained due to repetitive movements or habits, such as bad posture, gaming, heavy lifting, swinging a racquet or sitting before a computer. Frequently, when muscles have been strained for some time, all it requires is one sudden movement that we wouldn’t expect to cause trouble to get an already strained muscle to move into spasm.
Here is what you need to know about muscle spasms and you can help to reduce the severity and frequency of your muscle spasms.
Common Reasons For Muscle Spasms:
Spasms can affect many different types of muscles in the body, leading to many different symptoms.
At times a spasm will occur due to an injury to the muscle or overuse, other times there is an underlying issue that causes the muscle to seize up. Joint arthritis, inflammation, poor posture, dehydration, repetitive motions, electrolyte imbalance and even diseases such as diabetes can cause the muscles to spasm.
Drug-Free Treatment Options For Muscle Spasms
- Ice therapy. For the first 72 hours after the onset of your muscle spasms, wrap an ice pack, cold gel pad or a bag of frozen vegetables in a thin cloth. This helps to avoid frostbite, and apply to the affected area for up to 20 minutes several times a day. Ice therapy will slow the inflammation process and numbs tissue and slows nerve impulses to the injured area. Take care, however, not to ice the area too long, If used too long, cold therapy sessions could potentially cause muscles to tighten even more or tissues to become more inflamed.
- Heat Therapy. Applying a heating pad to the affected area can bring soothing pain relief after the initial first few days of onset. Some people find heat is best, some prefer ice, and some find it most helpful to alternate the two therapies. You try a see what works best for you.
- Physical Therapy. Physical Therapy can also assist in treating muscle spasms. Different treatments and modalities may include, corrective exercises, proper ergonomics, posture education, soft tissue work, stretches, joint mobilizations and any modalities which are appropriate such as moist heat, cold packs and electrical stimulation to name a few.
- Chiropractic Care. Chiropractic care helps to alleviate the cause of muscle spasm once it’s present as well as helping to prevent it from occurring, to begin with. Proper nerve function is necessary for proper muscle function, and chiropractic adjustments locate and correct the regions of the spine where there’s nerve dysfunction. Chiropractic can improve the ability of the muscles and blood flow throughout the body, restoring fluid in the muscles and reducing your symptoms.
The Takeaway
Muscle spasms present as tightness in the muscles and may include pain, which often transpires shortly after an injury. Muscle spasms can often be in response to pain, which occurs as the body takes steps to protect itself. Spasms can also occur from dehydration, electrolyte imbalance or overuse.
Most muscle spasms are harmless, just very uncomfortable. These unwanted spasms can be prevented naturally, and there are natural methods for immediate relief that are perfectly safe and effective.
Contact us for more information, view our services and see how we can help you on your wellness journey.
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