Pain in the arm, muscle spasm, what to do. How to relieve back muscle spasm? Treating Muscle Spasms at Home

A spasm is a contraction of one or more muscles. This phenomenon occurs spontaneously, involuntarily, and lasts a short time. However, cramps may appear again and again. Sometimes they are accompanied by sharp pain. How to relieve a spasm? Everything will depend on the reasons for this phenomenon.

Symptoms of spasms

Sudden muscle contractions can occur in any organ of the human body. Most often they affect the calf muscles. Spasms occur most rarely in the back. Infrequently, they affect the neck, abdomen and thighs.

With stomach cramps, a functional disorder of this digestive organ occurs. At the same time, its smooth muscles involuntarily contract. The patient feels dull pain, which brings him inconvenience and discomfort.

Symptoms of such spasms may include constant nausea, constipation and vomiting. In some cases, a person is not even able to control his own body.

Sometimes some patients complain of a lump in the throat, congestion and suffocation. Such symptoms indicate a spasm in the throat. The cause of this condition is usually nervous disorders and stress. But laryngospasms are reflex defenders of the lungs in the face of threats that exist for them. The symptom of this sudden muscle contraction is a continuous cough and difficulty breathing that lasts for a short period of time.

There is also the so-called false myopia. People call it tired eye syndrome. Most often, such spasms manifest themselves in childhood, but sometimes adults also suffer from them. The symptoms of this phenomenon are very similar to the manifestations of myopia. These include rapid eye fatigue, pain in them, as well as loss of visual acuity.

The causes of spasms that a person feels in the area chest, there can be many different diseases. Tension occurs due to diseases of the blood vessel and heart, digestive system and respiratory tract. Symptoms of such short-term muscle contractions are:

Colic in the right or left region of the chest;
- shortness of breath;
- heartache.

Harmful voltage

Why does spasm occur? In this condition, nerves and blood vessels are compressed by muscles. This leads to disruption of nutrition and energy metabolism in certain internal organs. So, with spasm of the muscles located in the neck, compression, that is, compression of the vagus nerve, becomes the cause of malfunctions of the pancreas and the entire digestive tract.

Maintaining the function of these organs will require allocation extra energy. With a large spasmodic area, the tension can last a long time. In this case, too much energy will be required for irrational work.

Treatment

In order to prevent involuntary muscle contractions from causing health problems, we need to know how to relieve spasms, and medications can help us with this. This is a special group of antispasmodics that can reduce the tone of smooth muscle cells located in blood vessels and hollow organs. When using such drugs, the active substances interfere with the contraction process, stopping the pain attack. This action becomes possible due to the blocking of nerve impulses entering the muscles.

The group of antispasmodics in pharmaceutical science has its own classification. It includes:

1. affecting the nervous system.
2. Myotropic drugs that affect various muscle groups.
3. Complex drugs, effectively working with nerve endings and smooth muscle cells.
4. Neuromyotropes, combining the action of neurotropic and myotropic drugs.

Spasm of blood vessels in the head

With a sudden narrowing of the lumen of the blood pathways in the brain, the patient’s well-being sharply worsens. Various disruptions occur in the functioning of the central nervous system. They are caused by oxygen starvation of brain cells. The tension that occurs in the vessels of the head is a very dangerous condition. Sometimes it leads to the development of serious diseases.

How to remove To urgently eliminate the pathology, you can wash your face with cold water or put your feet in a basin filled with cool water. It is also recommended to relax and lie down. You can drink a glass of water with drops of honey added. It is advisable to carry out knee joint with preheated palms.

How else to relieve spasm of cerebral vessels? Aromatherapy has an excellent effect on pathology. Suitable for her essential oils lavender or valerian.
And if, even despite the manipulations, the headache does not go away, you should immediately visit a doctor. The specialist will prescribe a course of treatment using vasodilating drugs and undergoing physiotherapeutic procedures.

Drug elimination of cerebral vascular spasms

In the pharmacy chain you can find quite a lot of drugs that will help quickly eliminate the uncomfortable condition and prevent the further development of unwanted symptoms.

Only a doctor can tell you how to treat a spasm. It is not recommended to select medications on your own. After all, each of them helps only in a certain case.

To eliminate spasm of cerebral vessels, a drug such as Ginkgo Biloba is most often prescribed. It comes in tablet form. Based on this plant, the production of several more drugs has been established that help improve blood circulation in the vessels of the brain.

Valerian extract effectively relieves spasms and eliminates nervous tension. For emergency vasodilation, medications such as Eufelin and Papaverine are recommended. They are sold in pharmacies only with a doctor's prescription. To prevent cerebral vascular spasms, Clofibrate or Atromide are prescribed.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Spasm of cerebral vessels often occurs due to a problem such as osteochondrosis cervical region spine. In this regard, regular massage of this area will help eliminate muscle tension. The doctor may also prescribe a pearl bath, contrast shower, electrophoresis with bromine or novocaine, oxygen therapy, therapeutic exercises etc.

Traditional recipes for headaches

How to relieve spasms using alternative medicine methods? To do this, you can use manual and aromatherapy and yoga. Cold compresses made from decoctions will help in relieving cerebral vascular spasms. medicinal herbs. Traditional healers also recommend drinking tea based on motherwort, yarrow or rosehip.

Elimination of leg spasms

Leg cramps are a fairly common occurrence, indicating vitamin deficiency, hypothermia lower limbs, problems with blood circulation or wearing uncomfortable shoes. Before we begin to eliminate this phenomenon, it is necessary to find out the reasons for its occurrence. If they are associated with varicose veins, then the local physician will send you to a phlebologist, if with radiculitis - to a neurologist, if with damage to the arteries - to a vascular surgeon. You should not self-medicate for leg cramps. You need to start therapy only after visiting a doctor and finding out the causes of the pathology.

How to relieve spasm of the calf muscle? For treatment and preventive effects on pathology, tablets with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, muscle relaxants, neuroleptics, and other drugs are used. Sometimes doctors prescribe special ointments, creams and gels for spasms. Medicines in this form are applied locally. They are rubbed two to three times during the day into the desired area of ​​the leg. Such drugs significantly reduce the strength and frequency of muscle spasms, activate blood flow and help relieve pain.

The most popular drugs to relieve tension in calf muscles ah, are “Miaton” and “Troxevasin”, “Traumel”. Heparin ointment also helps.

How to relieve muscle spasm traditional methods? To eliminate pain and speed up blood circulation in the legs, a tincture of cumin fruits, peppermint leaves, anise and fennel will help. All ingredients are taken in the volume of one tablespoon. The exception is peppermint (2 tablespoons).

Lubricate the painful area with a mixture of Vaseline and celandine juice, made in a ratio of 2 to 1. Massage is a very effective method. It is performed in the area of ​​​​a tense area. A cold compress will also help your leg.

Acute pancreatitis

Alcohol taken by a person, acute, fatty food and exotic seasonings can provoke pancreatic spasms. This unpleasant phenomenon sometimes occurs when drinking ice water in the heat.

When a spasm occurs in the pancreas high blood pressure, and all its enzymes come back. An inflammatory process occurs. The patient is experiencing severe pain in the upper area abdomen, diarrhea, vomiting. At the same time, an increased body temperature appears.

If a person suffers from pancreatic spasm, how to relieve it? You should not try to urgently eliminate this unpleasant phenomenon with the help of antispasmodics. Such actions rarely lead to success. The best initial measure when answering the question “How to relieve spasm of the pancreatic muscles?” - this is to ensure peace for a person who should take the most comfortable position for him. After the patient is immobilized, a doctor should be called, who will recommend the necessary treatment method.

To relieve a patient of pancreatitis, the doctor prescribes medications on an individual basis. Antispasmodics are often used in the course of therapy. They help eliminate muscle tension in the pancreas. Enzymatic drugs also find their use. These drugs relieve pain. If the doctor has decided to hospitalize the patient, then in the hospital he will most likely be given antispasmodics in injections. For pancreatitis, a course of injections with antihomotoxicological drugs is administered. These drugs affect the body at the cellular level and activate the immune system.

Muscle tension

Sometimes spasms occur due to severe physical stress. In this case, blood circulation in the muscles is impaired. And this, in turn, provokes the occurrence of a spasm.

Sometimes this unpleasant phenomenon occurs when exposed to an external stimulus. This could be alcohol abuse or a needle stick, or an unexpectedly sharp and loud sound. Sometimes spasmodic attacks disturb people at night. In this case, they are the result of psychophysical disorders such as decreased blood circulation and stress.

Sometimes muscle spasms appear when certain pathologies of the nervous system occur (neurosis, tetanus, epilepsy). They also occur in cases of metabolic disorders in the body or poisoning. Sometimes muscle spasms are observed after surgery. Involuntary and short-term attacks occur in people who work a lot on the computer or have minor injuries to their limbs.

They help eliminate such discomfort. To relieve muscle spasms they are even used in surgery. In this area of ​​medicine, drugs allow one to obtain an anesthetic effect.

Today, muscle relaxants are used quite widely to relieve muscle spasms. They find their application in a fairly wide range of medical areas, from the treatment of neurological pathologies to cosmetology.

Thus, to relieve muscle spasms, muscle relaxants such as Atracurium and Ardun, Pipecuronium and Dixonium, as well as many others, are used. The medications Clonazepam and Orphenadrine, Methocarbamol and Cyclobenzaprine are quite effective for this type of tension.

For emergency relief of muscle tension, self-massage, cold compress and stretching will help. The body will be better able to fight various types of diseases if a person regularly and fully rests, plays sports, does not overstrain the nervous system and properly organizes his diet, which should be rich in microelements and vitamins.

The most common spasms in children

Sometimes it happens that the child’s body temperature rises, but the limbs remain cold. These symptoms are accompanied by chills and pale skin. Such signs indicate vasospasm. The child's condition worsens. Apathy and weakness appear. The appearance of such symptoms is facilitated by an insufficient amount of fluid in the body. This leads to thickening of the blood and slowing down its circulation. Another important provocateur of this condition is a disturbance in the functioning of the nervous system and a decrease in blood pressure.

How to remove To do this, you need, first of all, to warm up the baby’s limbs. It is recommended to rub the arms and legs or place them in a warm bath. For this purpose, a basin is suitable, into which water is poured, the temperature of which is slightly higher than room temperature. First, one leg is lowered into it. Afterwards, wipe it dry with a soft towel and put on a sock. Do the same with the second leg, and then with the handles. A cold compress applied to the forehead will also help the baby. The child must be provided with plenty of warm drinks. It is important that the room temperature does not exceed 20 degrees. To restore normal blood circulation, the child should be given half a No-Spa tablet.

If the body temperature of a small patient exceeds 38 degrees, then he should be given a complex of drugs consisting of:

Antipyretics (“Paracetamol” or “Nurofen”);
- antispasmodics;
- antihistamines.

In cases of pronounced vasospasm, analgin is recommended for the child. This remedy will improve the patient's condition and prevent the occurrence of undesirable effects.

Muscle spasm can be either an independent phenomenon or a symptom of a disease. Anti-muscle spasm medications help relieve tension in skeletal muscles, with smooth muscles digestive tract and relieve dystonia caused by neurotransmitters.

Causes of the disease

Cramps, pain, dizziness, nausea, tachycardia are symptoms of muscle spasm. This painful condition can be caused by a number of reasons:

• stress, overwork;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical and other parts of the spine;
• structural features of the spinal column;
• pregnancy;
• response to pain;
• intense sports activities;
• vitamin deficiency, lack of micro- and macroelements;
• dehydration;
• hypocarbohydrate diets.

Drug relief of symptoms

A symptom that is associated with certain diseases. Various drugs are used in medicine to treat it.

Use of muscle relaxants

They relieve tension from skeletal muscles and help slow down the conduction of nerve impulses:

1. Mydocalm (tolperisone) is prescribed for osteochondrosis, arthrosis, sclerosis, after surgical interventions, for myalgia and to remove spasms; helps slow down the conduction of nerve impulses, thereby eliminating muscle pain, cramps, tension, dizziness.
2. Sirdalud (tinadizine) is a centrally acting muscle relaxant: it can not only relieve muscle spasms, but also has a pronounced analgesic effect.
3. Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that has virtually no effect on neuromuscular tension and does not cause such weakness as Mydocalm and Sirdalud.
4. Sibazon is a drug that has a pronounced calming effect on the central nervous system, it is classified as a tranquilizer, a benzodiazepine derivative, but it also has muscle relaxant properties: it is used for complex injuries, arthrosis, and myositis.

Use of antispasmodics

Antispasmodic drugs (No-spa, Papaverine, Mebeverine), which remove spasms from the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, hepatic and renal colic.

NSAIDs and sedatives

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The following list of drugs is used in pharmacy:

• Xefocam (lornoxicam);
• Celebrex (celecoxib);
• Nise, Nimesil (nimesulide);
• Movalis, Movasin (meloxicam).

NSAID drugs block the enzymes COX1 and COX2, which are responsible for the production of inflammatory mediators. Due to this, they relieve inflammation, spasm, reduce pain and swelling.

On the pharmaceutical market, drugs in this group are represented by a wide range: Ibuprofen, Ketonal, Piroxicam, Indomethacin, Diclofenac. But they are used less frequently, as they are aggressive towards the gastrointestinal tract.

Sedatives promote relaxation, relieve nervous tension and reduce the conduction of nerve impulses along the fibers. They are divided into the following groups:

• plant origin (Novo-passit, Persen);
• chemical nature (Afobazole);
• combined (Corvalol, Valoserdin, Valemidin).

Vitamins, micro- and macroelements help normalize blood circulation, hematopoiesis, improve tissue trophism, and maintain water-electrolyte balance. The following drugs are used in neurology:

1. Group B vitamins (Kombilipen, Milgamma, Neuromultivit) in injections and tablets: improve blood circulation, hematopoiesis, and impulse transmission along nerve fibers.
2. Magnesium preparations (Magnelis B6, Magne B6, Magnerot, Magnesium Plus) are necessarily used to relieve muscle spasms: they relieve cramps, muscle spasms, improve myocardial contractility, improve mood and performance, and relieve flatulence (bloating).
3. Multivitamins (Supradin, Multi-tabs, Centrum, Complivit, Vitrum) improve metabolic processes body.

special instructions

For the treatment of neuralgia, osteochondrosis and others neurological diseases a complex of the above remedies is used, but they all have contraindications and side effects:

1. Muscle relaxants cause bradycardia and a decrease in blood pressure, dizziness, and reduce the speed of reactions. Therefore, they are prescribed with caution for work that requires increased attention, or prescribed at night.
2. Antispasmodics can cause a decrease in blood pressure. Hypotension and bradycardia are absolute contraindications for use.
3. NSAIDs have an ulcerogenic effect on the gastrointestinal tract. They are prescribed with caution for gastrointestinal diseases. NSAIDs must be taken after meals, preferably with milk.

Features of prescribing drugs for the treatment of muscle spasms

1. With weak pain syndrome local medications are prescribed in the form of ointments (Nurofen, Nise, Ketonal, Voltaren), in the form of patches (Nanoplast, Voltaren, Dorsaplast, Versatis)
2. For osteochondrosis, muscle relaxants are prescribed in combination with NSAIDs and vitamins.
3. For pain that is not relieved by oral and local medications, injections of muscle relaxants, NSAIDs and vitamins are used. Drug provocation leads to pain relief.
4. Often muscle spasms require the prescription of drugs that help normalize blood circulation (Actovegin, Cerebrolysin, Cavinton).

Conclusion

Muscle spasms may be sporadic, especially after physical activity. Then it is enough to take an analgesic or NSAID, and the problem is solved. But often muscle spasm is a symptom of a disease. Then complex therapy is required.

How to relieve pain in this case must be decided by a neurologist. And after relieving acute pain, you need to undergo a course of massage and physical therapy. To prevent muscle spasms from recurring, you need proper, balanced nutrition and physical activity.

Muscle spasms(convulsions) is a sudden and uncontrollable muscle contraction, and either one or several muscles can be involved at once. A person suffering from muscle spasms experiences very unpleasant and painful sensations. Although cramps are usually not harmful to a person, they do cause a person to be unable to use the affected muscle for a period of time.

Muscle spasm: causes

Causes of spasms can be conditionally divided into idiopathic and secondary. In the first case, long-term stress can provoke spasms, in the second - any diseases of the body.

Idiopathic causes of muscle spasm

These include:

• excessive physical activity, especially in the hot season;
• dehydration of the body;
• staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time.

In this situation, you can avoid cramps by eliminating the cause and performing stretching exercises.

Secondary causes of muscle spasms (symptoms of a malfunction in the body)

These include the following:

• insufficient blood supply (in this case, narrowed arteries cause leg spasms);
• lack of minerals (calcium or magnesium) in the body;
• both excess and deficiency of potassium;
• insufficient water consumption;
• late stages of pregnancy;
• kidney dialysis;
• diseases thyroid gland;
• flat feet;
• obesity;
• nervous system disorders;
• lead poisoning;
• reaction to taking medications.

Muscle spasms: risk factors

1. . Over the years a person loses muscle mass, as a result of which the muscles are more often overstrained.
2. Dehydration, which is common in people who subject themselves to intense exercise. Athletes and heavy workers are at risk.
3. . Lack of minerals, increased stress on the legs, hormonal changes - all this puts expectant mother at risk.
4. Medical indicators. Patients with diabetes, thyroid disease, liver disease, or those suffering from nervous disorders often experience spasms.

Muscle spasms: when to sound the alarm

Convulsions are rarely dangerous for humans and most often go away without outside help. However, you should not ignore leg spasms if they:

• cause severe discomfort;
• accompanied by swelling of the extremities, redness or other external changes in the skin;
• caused by muscle weakness;
• appear too often, this may be a symptom of a disease.

Recently, people are increasingly experiencing back muscle spasms. A person’s muscles are elastic and soft, but if they are strained too much, they become hard and it is impossible to relax. This occurs due to excessive physical activity, which has a destructive effect on the entire muscular structure of a person. As a rule, such an illness occurs when it is not expected at all.

So, in the article we will describe in detail the causes, main symptoms, types, diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

As mentioned earlier, the tissue that makes up the muscle must be mobile and flexible. This provides the muscle structure with uniform relaxation and tension during movement.

Important! With muscle overstrain, which will persist over time, a negative effect on the person’s condition and his body appears. This tension is called spasms.

The spasm can be large (cover a group of some muscles) or small (the effect occurs on one or two muscles). Usually, to normalize muscle function, a person only needs to “gather his will into a fist.” However, there are times when it is still worth going to the doctor.

For many, such spasms are the primary cause of “wild” pain that lasts for several hours. Moreover, they force a person to maintain one position for an indefinite amount of time, since the slightest shift creates conditions for the occurrence of unpleasant sensations.

Prolonged muscle strain is the first reason for squeezing blood vessels inside muscle fibers. This subsequently leads to problems in the functioning of the human body. It is obvious that the negative effect also extends to the work of the central and peripheral nervous system.

The more the lesion spreads, the higher the risk of increased discomfort.

Reasons for the development of the disease

There are a huge number of circumstances leading to the development of spinal muscle spasm in a person.

In the table below you can see the most common reasons.

Table No. 1. Causes of spasms.

Types of disease

The disease can be completely different. It depends on specific circumstances and factors.

In general, it can be argued that there are two types of such disease.

1. Tonic. As a rule, it appears when the back muscles are strained due to incorrect posture when working at a desk. This type of disease occurs in office workers, as well as in schoolchildren. When discomfort worsens, a person can easily identify the source of pain by pointing to a specific place. With tonic spasm, a person feels that the muscles become harder and more tense. In addition, when he presses on them, the pain is noticeably stronger.
2. Clonic. It is a consequence of constant changes in muscle tone. This type of pathology is characterized by frequent and involuntary twitching.

It is worth noting the possibility of the simultaneous development of both types. If this is found, then we can easily talk about tonic-clonic seizures.

About symptoms

With severe overexertion and damage to muscle tissue, a person exhibits various symptoms. The most obvious symptoms are extreme pain and problems with mobility.

Important! Back muscles, when damaged due to injury or other reasons, tend to become overstrained. This subsequently leads to isolating the damaged area of ​​the body and preventing damage to other areas.

In most cases, when a person tries to move, the pain appears instantly and becomes more intense each time. It all starts with actions such as:

• sudden movement from side to side;
• lifting heavy objects;
• injury from a fall.

This is usually enough to cause spasms.

The manifestations of muscle spasm differ significantly from each other. They depend on the location of the pain sensation.

For example, if a person is struck, then he experiences irrepressible pain. In severe form of this disease, the disease innervates the arms. One of the consequences is their numbness.

If spasms are detected in thoracic region, the patient experiences discomfort in two places at once:

• central part of the back;
• in the subscapular region.

Pain occurs due to pinching of the intercostal nerve.

Doctors call this situation intercostal neuralgia.

People sometimes confuse a pinched nerve with a heart attack. However, when affected by intercostal neuralgia, a person who takes medications to treat the cardiovascular system does not feel any relief. In addition, if he undergoes an ECG, then when viewing the diagnostic results, the doctor will not see any signs of cardiac dysfunction. This means that only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help him.

If the spasm strikes lumbar region, long-term pain does not keep you waiting.

In medicine they are better known as lumbago.

In general, inflammation of muscle tissue in the lower back at an early stage is invisible to a person. In addition, it does not create inconvenience for everyday life. However, with a “lumbago”, every movement can cause irrepressible pain and weakness in the legs. People have trouble standing, and they fall.

Consequences of late treatment

The disease as a whole has an extremely negative effect on the body. At a minimum, it is she who is responsible for the appearance of other pathologies.

First of all, problems arise throughout the spine. If treatment is not started on time, pain will occur from time to time. This is explained by the transition of the disease to its chronic form.

If muscle overstrain is the cause, then constant aching pain, as a rule, radiates to the internal organs.

If a person discovers signs of developing this kind of disease, he needs to consult a doctor as soon as possible, since untimely treatment leads to irreparable consequences for the health of the body.

Usually in those places where the disease developed, the muscles are weakened. Cracks and dryness also appear there. The reasons for their occurrence are two things:

• blockage of blood vessels;
• contamination of skin pores.

A person suffering from back muscle spasm is constantly irritated and very nervous. In addition, its performance decreases. There are also difficulties with communication and movement - extremely necessary components of normal human life.

Drug treatment

Basically, the treatment method involves taking medications, exercising physical exercise, as well as strict adherence to diet.

It is also worth noting the peculiarity of treatment in patients with epilepsy. In addition to specialized medications for their illness, they are prescribed muscle relaxants - medications that can weaken the muscles to prevent further damage.

Doctors prescribe three forms of medications, the use of which depends on the degree of development and form of the disease:

It is worth noting that medications are prescribed by the attending physician after a comprehensive examination.

Self-medication is prohibited. This is explained by the difficulties in finding the cause of such a disease. Moreover, each person’s body is unique, which does not make it possible to create a universal form of treatment.

Pills

To treat the disease, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They are able to stop and prevent the development of inflammation by deeply penetrating the active ingredients of the drug into the epicenter of the disease and further eliminating pain.

So, to get rid of back discomfort, you can take the following medications in tablet form:

• "Spazmalgon";
• "Ketonal";
• "Diclofenac";
• "Ketorol";

Injections

If found various options cervicalgia, then muscle relaxants are prescribed. As a rule, they are used together with chondroprotectors.

If oral medications are ineffective and accelerated development For pain, doctors prescribe injections. The drug administered by injection reaches the lesion faster, which allows you to ease muscle tension and seriously improve your health.

The following medications are often prescribed:

• neurotropic analgesics (as a rule, they give Vitamin B12 or any other medicines based on it);
• analgesics (usually given "Baralgin" or "Aspirin");
• corticosteroids, also known as steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ("Betamethasone", "Prednisolone");
• muscle relaxants (“Mydocalm”, “Sirdalud”);
• anesthetics for (Novocaine, Lidocaine).

Ointments

There is a third form of the drug - ointments, gels and creams. They are rubbed onto the sore area of ​​the back. They are created on the basis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Among the well-known and effective ointments are the following:

• "Dolobene";
• "Fastum-gel";
• "Voltaren";
• "Finalgon";
• "Nise."

Ointments have some side effects. Among them:

• the skin peels off;
• itching appears;
• a rash develops;
• the skin turns red.

In addition, medications are prescribed that have, as well as homeopathic remedies that can restore cartilage and improve the condition of the back. These types of ointments include:

• "Target T"

Physiotherapy

Pain is the main symptom of the pathology discussed in the article. To get rid of it, you need to do two things:

• eliminate the root cause;
• relieve muscle tension.

One of the best ways to do this is. It's all about its relaxing effect, which is achieved through performing various types of movements:

• kneading;
• stretching;
• vibration;
• pressing.

In addition, massage together with a small piece of ice has a beneficial effect on a person’s condition. As a rule, already in the first few minutes after the start of slow rubbing in a circular motion This very piece in the area where the tense muscle is located significantly reduces the sensation of pain. This is achieved by lowering the temperature, which causes further constriction of the blood vessels. Afterwards, the vessels expand sharply, which helps the muscles relax. Thanks to the massage, the muscles regain their ability to relax and contract correctly, and blood circulation is normalized.

If after three days the discomfort has not gone away, then it is better to start heat treatment. To do this, you can simply warm the damaged area of ​​the body in order to improve blood circulation. The easiest way to do this is with a towel wetted prematurely with hot water. It is imperative to keep warm, and this task can be accomplished using only a plastic bag and another towel, but this one is dry. You need to do this warming up for an average of twenty minutes, five times a day.

A patient with osteochondrosis who wants to get rid of the discomfort caused by muscle tension may need to perform all kinds of exercises (especially stretching), attend massage sessions in a hospital or go swimming (swimming styles such as breaststroke or backstroke are especially effective).

Video - How to quickly relieve muscle spasms

Diet

If muscle strain occurs as a result of excess weight, the patient is prescribed dietary adjustments.

It is worth noting that it is highly undesirable to change your diet on your own. This should be done by a specialist, because otherwise you may feel worse.

Let's look at the basic aspects of diet and weight loss.

The first thing worth talking about is eliminating foods from the diet. The following types of products are strictly prohibited:

• smoked;
• meat with flavor enhancers. These include carb, ham and bacon;
• aspic;
• fatty foods;
• semi-finished products in the form of sausages and sausages.

Forget about establishments fast food(“fast food”) and pizzerias - visiting them is prohibited from the moment you start the diet.

If we talk about the purchase and subsequent preparation of raw meat, then it should be taken either from time-tested farms or in villages. Only such meat will be completely natural. However, this is too perfect. In reality, you have to buy it at markets or even in a store. The same goes for fish. If it is frozen or refrigerated, it must be cooked properly.

Particular attention is paid to the method of preparation during the diet. The most preferred ones should be noted:

• boiling;
• steaming;
• stewing (necessarily in water);
• baking.

It is also worth noting that before cooking it is necessary to remove all fat and skin, since they are saturated with harmful substances.

Priority when preparing should be given to various vegetable or mushroom soups.

So, let’s list the products that fall under the so-called “dietary sanctions”:

• sparkling water (sweet or plain - it doesn’t matter);
• mayonnaise;
• fatty fish and meats;
• fish roe;
• all kinds of confectionery products;
• creamy dessert;
• all types of chocolate;
• paste;
• various oils;
• chips;
• alcoholic drinks.

Foods whose calorie content is “negative” will be extremely useful in the diet:

• bran bread;
• potato;
• wheat (sprouted only);
• buckwheat and oatmeal;
• fermented milk products without fat;
• apples;
• vegetables (cabbage and others);
• greens (parsley, dill, spinach, celery, broccoli);
• beans.

Healthy eating is the norm for every person.

Before changing your diet, you should consult a dietitian.

Prevention

To avoid recurrence of spasms, you should do the following.

1. Maintain muscle elasticity at the proper level and keep them toned. Stretching and swimming can help with this. Special attention People who lead a sedentary lifestyle should pay attention to this point.
2. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and various stimulant medications.
3. Increase your intake of foods rich in potassium and calcium.
4. Try to avoid hypothermia of muscles when a person takes an uncomfortable position. They may overexert themselves in response to the cold, causing a spasm.

Compliance with these rules will allow you to forget about this kind of problem for a long time.

Let's sum it up

To cope with an unpleasant illness that affects the back area, you need to be calm. There is nothing to worry about: if you do not start treatment, you will be able to get rid of the disturbing sensations quite quickly. On initial stage The patient is only required to take NSAID tablets.

If “things are really bad,” then the doctor prescribes treatment in the form of injections into the affected area, which guarantees that the drug quickly reaches the epicenter of the disease and quickly rids the body of the disease.

by Notes of the Wild Mistress

Muscle spasms sometimes they pass in a few seconds or minutes, and sometimes they can last for quite a long time, significantly reducing performance.

In fact, human muscle tissue is always under tension. In order to hold your head level and straighten your back, move your eyes and even just breathe, muscle work is required. Even the simplest action involves tens of muscles, each consisting of hundreds of fibers.

"Muscle spasms are prolonged, unmotivated tension of a muscle or its area, causing a painful condition and limiting movement."

For the system to function normally and without failures, muscle should constantly maintain elasticity, but sometimes physical activity, stretching, and other factors leave the muscle in a state of tension longer than the action itself lasts, which causes pain. It can be either strong, quite noticeable and even interfering with free movement, or completely invisible - but the spasm still exists. A muscle spasm differs from a cramp in its duration and leads to severe pain.

Types of spasms

Depending on the location of spasms, several types are distinguished.

Neck muscle spasms - one of the most common, they usually appear in “sedentary” workers who spend most of the day in the office and leisure time at home at the computer, as well as in all those who constantly strain their back and neck. During a spasm, nerves and blood vessels are compressed, blood circulation is disrupted, which has Negative consequences. Due to spasms in the muscles of the neck and surrounding areas, we so often suffer from headaches, migraines, and discomfort in the neck and surrounding back.

Back muscle spasms can cause either a dull, nagging pain or a sharp, shooting pain. For the latter there is a special term - lumbago. They often appear during sprains, during loads on incorrectly or insufficiently warmed muscles, simply when bending over, lifting heavy objects, when “shooting in the lower back.” Such spasms often “radiate” to the legs.

Muscle spasms in the legs - mainly a problem for athletes and dancers, as well as people who have experienced muscle strains, ligament ruptures and other similar injuries in the past. Sharp pain in the legs can occur as a concomitant of cramps - it just takes a long time to pass. They can be avoided if you warm up properly before exercise and don’t sudden movements, avoid sprains.

Treatment of muscle spasms

Spasms usually take you by surprise, and in order to return to normal activities you have to take immediate action - often on your own. The following techniques will help with spasms.

Massage - from regular massage to a full-fledged relaxing massage, which is best done after taking a hot bath or shower - in a word, when the muscles are already a little warmed up. It is better to massage the areas affected by spasms from the bottom up - in the direction of the lymph flow, without putting too much pressure on the skin, so as not to injure the nerve endings.

Taking a contrast shower and other hardening measures are perfect as a preventative measure. When temperature changes, the vessels quickly narrow or, conversely, expand, which causes blood flow. Improved blood circulation helps saturate muscles with oxygen and improves the overall condition of tissues.

Warming up using warm salt, a heating pad or wraps are suitable for hard-to-reach places. If you decide to try the latter, you can do honey wraps- they warm up perfectly problem areas, but at the same time improve the condition of the skin.

Small warm-up - good remedy quickly get rid of spasms if there is no time for other methods. Even while in the city, at work you can find a place and time to stretch a little, stretch your neck, stretch your legs, thus restoring blood circulation and eliminating an attack of spasms.

Exercises against muscle spasms of the neck, back, legs

As therapeutic and preventive measures, special types of exercises are also used that help to warm up, stretch muscles and relieve spasms.

For neck spasms

Bend your head forward and backward, stretching your muscles to the limit. Repeat rhythmically 5-8 times.

Rotate the head alternately to the right and left shoulder. At the same time, the head seems to roll over the bottom - the chin reaches towards the chest. After 4-5 rolls, we do the same exercise with our head thrown back - the back of the head tends to the shoulder blades.

Bow your head to your right and left shoulder 10-15 times.

For back spasms

Stretch well and straighten your back, arms aiming at the ceiling, rise onto your toes. Then slowly, feeling every movement, lean forward, reaching with your hands towards the floor. In this case, you should bend in the lower back, and not in the chest. Rise again and stretch upward, bend your back and stretch your hands behind your back. Repeat these bends 4-6 times.

Stand straight, place your feet not too wide. Place your arms freely along your body (you can also put them on your belt). Alternately move your right and left shoulders up and down. At the same time, try to keep the body itself calm.

Lie on the floor on your back and curl into the fetal position. Pull your knees to your stomach, press your head to your chest. Lie in this state for 1-2 minutes. If you have a rug or a soft floor, you can roll back and forth a little.

For leg cramps

For muscles inside hips - sit in a half squat, pointing to the side left leg. Reach your body towards her toe. Repeat the same with the right leg.

For the quadriceps muscle – a “lunge” pose, putting your right leg forward and throwing your left leg back. The weight is on the foot of the right leg and the knee of the left. Pull your left foot towards your back. Repeat, changing legs.

For the calf muscles - put your right leg forward so that it is 15-20 cm from the floor. Pull the sock towards you, pull it away from you. Repeat on the other leg.

Most The best way Avoiding cramps means toughening up and playing sports wisely. Also remember to take breaks and don't get carried away with sedentary work.