What are the treatments for muscle spasms

Muscle spasm is what we usually call muscle cramps. This is a sudden phenomenon that we cannot control. The muscle spasm usually occurs in the calf. Generally, the muscle spasm will last for a few seconds or longer. When the muscle spasm occurs, you will feel unbearable pain. Generally speaking, the causes of muscle spasms are calcium deficiency and cold. The following are the treatment methods for muscle spasms.

1. Method 1: Eliminate the cause

Some spasms are related to various external stimuli. Before treatment, try to eliminate factors that may easily induce muscle spasms, such as fever, stones, urinary tract infection, pressure sores, pain, constipation, and drugs that aggravate muscle spasms. Usually, the symptoms of muscle spasm will be alleviated after the triggering factor is eliminated.

2. Method 2: Posture and position

Certain postures and positions can reduce muscle spasms. Patients should adopt a good anti-spasm posture from the acute phase, which can inhibit abnormally increased muscle tension. For example, in the acute phase of cerebrovascular accident and craniocerebral trauma, a supine anti-spasm posture can be adopted to relieve muscle spasms. Patients with spinal cord injury can use an inclined bed to stand to relieve lower limb muscle spasms. The correct way to hold a child with cerebral palsy, etc.

3. Method 3: Physical therapy

(1) Cold therapy

Applying ice or soaking the spastic limb in ice water for 5 to 10 seconds can cause transient relaxation of muscle spasms.

(2) Hydrotherapy

The long-term compression and massage of muscles by water pressure is helpful to relieve muscle spasms. The room temperature should be kept at 25 degrees and the water temperature should be around 300 degrees. Doing this consistently is effective in relieving muscle spasms.

(3) Thermal therapy

Various types of conductive heat (such as wax, sand, mud, etc.), radiant heat (infrared) and endogenous heat (ultra-short wave).

(4) Alternating electrical stimulation therapy for spastic muscles and their antagonistic muscles

It is to use two groups of square waves with the same wave width and frequency but appearing in sequence to stimulate the spastic muscle and its antagonist muscle respectively, so that they contract alternately, using reciprocal inhibition and inhibition caused by excitation of Golgi tendon organs to counter spasms.

4. Method 4: Exercise therapy

Movement therapy includes active exercise, passive exercise, and manual therapy such as massage.

(1) The antagonist muscle of the actively moving spastic muscle produces a reciprocal inhibitory effect to reduce muscle spasm. Persisting in this kind of training is effective in treating muscle spasms.

(2) Passive movement can also be combined with certain reflex mechanisms to reduce muscle tone, such as passive toe flexion.