Muscle Spasms

The main symptoms of muscle spasms include: 

• feeling your muscle/muscles forcibly contracting, tightening, stiffening up, or jumping around

• visibly twitching muscles

• pain that lingers in the area for hours or days after the spasm

If your muscle spasms are caused by a neurological condition, you may notice other symptoms such as:

• shaking

• vision problems

• uncontrollable blinking

• trouble sleeping

• numbness

• coordination issues

• parts of your body twisting

• muscle weakness

• paralysis

There are several possible causes of muscle spasms. You may be able to identify some by yourself. Others can only be diagnosed by a specialist. Causes of muscle spasms can include:

Poor blood supply

If you get spasms or cramps in your legs and feet when you exercise, it could be because the lower part of your body isn’t getting enough blood flow. If this is the cause, your spasms will usually go away when you stop exercising. But your lack of blood flow could also be caused by high cholesterol, smoking, or peripheral artery disease (PAD), so it’s important to see a specialist.

Mineral deficiency or dehydration

Muscles need fluids and certain minerals and vitamins to work well. If you exercise or live in a hot climate, you could lose salt through excess sweating. This can cause spasms. Spasms can also be caused by a lack of potassium, calcium, vitamin D, or magnesium – you may not be getting enough through your diet. Certain medications, such as water tablets and some blood pressure medicines, encourage the removal of excess water — along with precious minerals — from your body.

A compressed nerve

If you have spasms in your legs that get worse when you walk, a compressed or pinched nerve may be putting extra pressure on your spine. You can also get pinched nerves in your wrist, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome (numbness in your fingers and hand). 

Asymmetry 

Asymmetry in your body can bring on long-term muscle spasms. If you have a pelvic tilt with a leg length discrepancy, your pelvic muscles work harder on one side to compensate and keep you balanced. If you have scoliosis (an S-shaped curve in your spine), the muscles on the inside part of the curve get shorter, tighter and stronger. The muscles on the outside of the curve become stretched, thinner and weaker. Without treatment, this can leave your muscles in a permanent state of tension.

A neurological condition/dystonia

Any condition that interferes with the normal communication from the brain to the muscles can result in long-term muscle spasms, including a brain or head injury, motor neurone disease (MND), multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also known as a stroke.

What are the risk factors for muscle spasms?

Some people have a higher chance of experiencing muscle spasms than others. Factors that increase your risk include:

• age, in particular, being over 65

• poor muscle conditioning

• pregnancy

• diabetes

• illnesses that involve your nerves, liver, or thyroid

• being overweight

At your initial consultation, your neurologist will assess your condition, your medical history, and ask about any medications you’re taking. They’ll also ask you questions about your muscle spasms — such as how bad the pain is, when it usually happens, how long it lasts, and when it started. 

Your neurologist may diagnose the cause of your muscle spasms at your consultation. Or, they may want to run some tests to confirm or determine the cause before making a diagnosis. The tests may include:

• a blood test

• a urine test

• an electromyography (EMG) to measure your muscle response

• genetic testing

• an MRI or CT scan of your brain

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent muscle spasms. You may be able to reduce the likelihood or severity of them by:

• staying as fit and active as you can

• avoiding exercising in extreme heat

• drinking plenty of water, especially during and after exercise

• stretching before and after exercise 

• doing gentle exercise and stretches before bed if you get spasms at night

Most muscle spasms are harmless. 

If your muscle spasms are caused by an underlying condition that isn’t treated, you may experience further complications associated with that condition. 

Your muscles may also become frozen or twisted into an unusual and painful position, which is known as contracture. 

If you have muscle spasms all over your body, are in unbearable pain, or have had spasms since coming into contact with a substance that may be poisonous, you should call emergency services.

How muscle spasms are treated varies depending on the cause. Treatments may include:

• pain medication

• muscle relaxers

• supplements 

If there’s an underlying neurological cause, your specialist will treat the condition to help improve your symptoms and possibly stop the condition altogether.

At Welbeck, our neurologists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.