Spasm/Cramps – Nicole Gillett

Spasm/Cramps – Nicole Gillett

A spasm is an involuntary contraction of a muscle. A cramp is a common term for a painful and prolonged muscle spasm. The muscles that are most commonly known for going into spasm are your calf muscles (gastrocnemius), soleus (muscle under your calf muscle), hamstrings, quadratus lumboeum, some of the small back muscles and the muscles between your ribs.

The cause of a muscle spasm and cramps are pain from inflammation and direct or indirect trauma to a muscle, stress, body fatigue, lack of vitamin D and over stretching and dehydration. The most common cramp is in the calf muscle. I think everyone has experienced it at some point in time. A symptom of this muscle cramp is pain in the affected muscle and decreased range of motion. The affected muscle can be tender to touch or tender to move, hot to touch, and the muscle could feel hard to touch.  When going into spasm, be sure to try to stretch it out right away if it is not from an over-stretching injury.