If you or someone you know is suffering from muscle spasms then you should be aware that they are intensely painful.
During the course of this discussion, we will talk about muscle spasms, what they are, their causes, and treatment possibilities. We will also discuss magnesium and its uses.
You should be advised that anything relating to the body always needs to be diagnosed by a medical professional.
Diagnosing yourself and administering treatments that you “think” might help is not advised.
What exactly are muscle spasms?
Muscle spasms are defined as when muscles contract involuntarily. This can lead to unbelievable pain and the only good thing about them is that they generally last no longer than a few minutes.
These can occur as often as many times in a day or only every few weeks or so. The frequency of this malady is directly related to the underlying cause.
That is one type of muscle spasm. There is another type that is more frequent and not painful at all.
Many people call this type of muscle spasm a tic or a twitch. Believe it or not, this type can happen many times a day and most of the time it is not even noticeable.
What causes muscle spasms?
Muscle spasms can be caused by any number of things. People can and are born every single day with afflictions that can cause muscle spasms. These can be things like syringomyelia or other spinal maladies.
They can also be caused by sprain, strain, or injury. This type of muscle spasm will generally just go away on its own in time although while a person is suffering from it, they truly are suffering.
Muscle spasms can also be caused by atherosclerosis or dehydration or even anemia. Whatever the cause of your particular muscle spasm is, it should be treated by a trained professional.
Common and not so common methods of treatment
While every cause of muscle spasms may differ, there are some treatments that can help with the pain caused by the spasm while leaving the underlying cause untouched. These can be things like anti-inflammatory drugs and mild painkillers.
Muscle relaxers are prescribed to people with severe and chronic muscle spasms but as these can prove to be addictive in certain cases they are often eschewed as a long-term treatment unless the person is truly suffering.
There are certain herbal remedies that are used to treat muscle spasms too. If there is a health store in your area then you may be able to find certain herbal remedies for sale there.
There are also physical therapies as well as more invasive types of treatments up to and including surgery.
There is even a machine that is used to shoot electric currents into the specific muscle to induce rapid contractions.
Believe it or not, this machine (TENS) is a godsend. Most chiropractors will have one in the office.
Magnesium and its uses
Magnesium is a mineral that is found naturally in the human body. In fact, it has been said that there are over 300 differing, naturally occurring processes in the body that are directly dependent on this mineral.
There are times when the body becomes deficient in this important mineral and adverse effects are noticed.
However, when properly diagnosed and treated these effects can be relieved almost immediately. Magnesium levels have a tendency to deplete faster in certain races and at certain ages.
For example, this is a common affliction in African Americans as well as in the elderly. That being said, many women of all ages and races tend to have trouble maintaining proper levels.
Magnesium is found in high fiber foods but a person must ingest a lot of them in order to see a noticeable change in the levels present in the body.
Magnesium and how it relates to muscle spasms
According to many studies, there is not really a correlation between the two. Muscle spasms can occur no matter what the magnesium levels are and do not seem to be affected by increasing or decreasing the levels.
That being said, lower magnesium levels can cause a whole range of issues. These levels should be properly tested by your general practitioner as he sees fit.
If a person is experiencing frequent muscle spasms then the best recommendation is to see a doctor.
They can not only treat the spasms but they can also determine and treat the underlying cause thereby reducing the person’s chances of having recurring painful spasms down the road.
