Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Treating muscle cramps at home
• Method 2 of 4: Treating muscle spasms with medication
• Method 3 of 4: Treating Smooth Muscle Spasms
• Method 4 of 4: Preventing Muscle Cramps
• Tips

Muscle spasms can affect any muscle. In particular, spasms can be in the skeletal, calf, or forearm muscles, as well as in smooth muscles such as those found in the digestive tract. A more serious form of spasm is neurotransmitter-induced dystonia. A muscle spasm is an involuntary contraction of a muscle, usually resulting from dehydration, overuse of the muscle, or depletion of essential electrolytes. It can also occur as a result of a response to nerve stimulation. Treatment for muscle spasms depends on the type of muscle affected or causing the spasm. Typically, spasms are not severe and can be treated at home.

Attention:the information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any methods, consult your doctor.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Treating muscle cramps at home

1. 1 Stop any activity. When the muscle spasm begins, stop any activity. Muscle spasms can occur during exercise or while doing normal daily activities. At the first sign of a spasm, stop doing any activity and try to cope with the spasm. The spasm can be painful, but it is usually fine in the long run.
   • Massage or rub the area where you are having a spasm. This can help relax the muscles.
2. 2 Rest the muscle affected by the spasm. It is advisable, especially if your back is twisted, not to strain the affected muscle for a couple of days. Muscle pain often occurs after spasms, and this is understandable - your muscles were overly tense, now they need rest to recover. However, so that the muscles do not "numb", still use them - but very, very carefully.
   • Yes, you can gently tense the muscle, but if you feel pain or a cramp, stop right away. Try to walk slowly and do stretching exercises. Do not make turns and torso bends.
3. 3 Stretch the affected muscle. If you're experiencing muscle spasms or cramps, stretching can help. Stretching can help relieve pain. However, don't overexert your muscles. If you start to feel pain, stop. This will help you stop the cycle of painful contractions and reduce pain. Hold each position for about 30 seconds.
   • Stretching the calf muscles. Stand near the wall at a distance of half a meter. The forearms should touch the wall. Keep your back straight. The heels should touch the floor. Lean forward. You should feel a stretch in your calf muscles. At the same time, the sensations should not cause discomfort. If you feel pain, stop.
   • Stretching of the calf muscles and feet. Sit down and pull your toes towards you. Now pull your legs towards your head. You should feel a stretch in your calf and foot muscles.
   • Hamstring stretch. Sit on the floor, straighten your legs in front of you, keep your legs together. Lean your body forward without bending your back. Try to grab your feet with your hands. Return to the starting position when you feel a pulling pain under the knee.
   • With a hip cramp, you need to pull the toe of the foot towards yourself with your hands, without bending the leg at the knee. You should feel a stretch in the front of your thigh.
   • In case of hand spasm, stand half a meter from the wall, rest your palms on it.
4. 4 Take the necessary steps to treat your back spasm. If you are experiencing back cramps, exercise can help you. However, these exercises can only be performed when you are not experiencing severe pain. Do not exercise if you are in severe pain. If you experience discomfort and pain while doing the exercise, stop the exercise.
   • Try walking with your knees high and your back straight. This will help reduce pain and help stretch your back muscles.
   • Raise your hands up. Do ten reps, holding your hands in this position for 5-10 seconds. Do this exercise 3-4 times a day. This will help stretch your back muscles.
   • Lie on the floor and bring one knee up to your chest. Hold the knee in this position for 10 seconds, return to the starting position. Do 5-10 reps 2-3 times a day. You can also pull both knees up to your chest. Stretching lightly is a surefire way to relieve tension by encouraging muscle relaxation.
5. 5 Use a heating pad or cold compress. The high temperature helps the muscles to relax, they stop contracting. Cold can relieve swelling and pain. Apply a cold compress for muscle spasms. Apply ice to the affected area for the first couple of days. Keep the ice on for 20-30 minutes. Repeat the procedure every 3-4 hours. If there is no improvement, use the compress for 20-30 minutes throughout the day.
   • The general principle is as follows: heating pads are good before activity, cold after.
   • Apply a warm compress for 15 minutes every 4 hours until the spasm subsides. Apply a cold compress for 12-15 minutes every 2 hours for the first few days.
   • Use a heating pad or ice pack. You can also use a hot or cold water bottle. As an ice compress, you can wrap a package of frozen vegetables in a cloth and apply to the sore spot.
6. 6 Drink water and drinks with electrolytes. When your muscles are suffering from dehydration, then ... in general, do not bring yourself to this state, drink more. Water and electrolytes (in the form of juice, sports drinks, and so on) will help you with this. Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium are essential for your muscles to function properly.
   • If you exercise a lot, or if you frequently tense your muscles for any other reason, be sure to replenish your stores of these substances by drinking enough water and electrolyte drinks.
   • Muscle cramps can be a sign of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, so don't forget to take multivitamins as well.

Method 2 of 4: Treating muscle spasms with medication

1. 1 Use pain relievers. Sometimes muscle spasms cause severe pain. Ask your doctor to prescribe over-the-counter pain relievers, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Some commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. In some cases, paracetamol helps.
2. 2 Take anti-inflammatory drugs. They will reduce the severity of inflammation or swelling in the affected area and increase blood flow to the affected area, which will have a positive effect on the recovery process. First of all, the doctor may prescribe you to take over-the-counter drugs (the same ibuprofen, for example).
   • Side effects of ibuprofen affect mainly the gastrointestinal tract, but even so, ibuprofen is better tolerated than the same acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). Side effects of ibuprofen are as follows: nausea, heart palpitations, diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, irritability, rash.
3. 3 Take muscle relaxants. See your doctor for treatment for an injured muscle that is causing continuous or repetitive spasms. Your doctor will prescribe muscle relaxants that work to relax your muscles and stimulate blood flow.If you think any of the drugs is causing you muscle cramps, be sure to tell your doctor.
   • "Atracurium-Novo", "Atracuria besilat", "Notrixum", "Ridelat®-S" and other muscle relaxants are prescribed for moderate and severe muscle spasms, these drugs help the muscles to relax by acting on the nervous system. This is a very effective remedy, but non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen) can relieve symptoms of acute muscle spasms just as well.
   • Some muscle relaxants are highly addictive - keep this in mind and control your medication intake.
4. 4 Consult your doctor if your seizures are chronic. You must learn how to treat muscle cramps at home. However, see your doctor if muscle cramps occur frequently, last a long time, and affect other muscles. In this case, cramping may be signs of more serious problems that require more serious treatment.
   • Rarely are muscle cramps the main problem - more often than not, they are just a symptom of a problem that needs to be identified and treated. What kind of problem is an individual question, everything varies from excessive muscle tension to metabolic problems in the case of chronic spasms.

Method 3 of 4: Treating Smooth Muscle Spasms

1. 1 Learn to recognize the symptoms of smooth muscle spasms. Symptoms vary depending on the muscles involved. Bowel cramps can cause severe pain and diarrhea. Urinary tract spasms are common with kidney stones and can cause severe pain, nausea, and vomiting. Airway spasms are always a medical emergency and can even be fatal if not urgently stopped by a doctor.
   • Rule out or treat intestinal problems such as gallstones or tumors. In some cases, it is necessary to remove kidney stones to get rid of bladder spasms. If you are in severe pain, see your doctor. Remove or remove kidney stones to reduce spasms. Pain relievers are often used during kidney stones.
2. 2 See your doctor if you have severe or recurrent spasms of your gastrointestinal, urinary, or respiratory tract. Unfortunately, we cannot directly control smooth muscles (say, the muscles of the heart or stomach). Smooth muscle spasms sometimes indicate a hidden problem.
3. 3 Take your medications. Medications, such as anticholinergics, can help relieve intestinal cramps that cannot be treated with dietary and lifestyle changes.
   • Your doctor may prescribe medication to restore neurotransmitter levels or give you a Botox injection to paralyze the affected muscle. All of this should be discussed with your doctor.
4. 4 Take antispasmodics if you have irritable bowel syndrome. If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are most likely experiencing cramps in your intestines. Antispasmodics, in turn, help relieve pain and cramps. Talk to your doctor if you experience bowel cramps. He will prescribe the appropriate treatment for you.
5. 5 Go to the toilet regularly. One way to treat bladder spasms is to go to the toilet every 1.5 to 2 hours. Empty your bladder every 2 hours. Over time, as you have less and less cramping, you can take longer breaks between emptying your bladder.
   • Do Kegel or pelvic exercises regularly. These exercises are very helpful for men and women in the treatment of urinary incontinence. To tense your pelvic muscles, imagine that you are tense to stop urination that has begun, or, say, to trap intestinal gases. Your doctor can explain to you in more detail how to do these exercises.
6. 6 Try using a heat pack to help combat abdominal cramps. Heating pads help reduce the severity of cramps and spasms in all muscles in the body. Lie on your back, put the compress on your stomach, but so that there is something else between the body and the heating pad. Leave the heating pad on your stomach for 10-15 minutes (20 is the maximum) and try to relax.
   • You can make your own heat compress from a piece of cloth that is large enough to cover your belly when folded. Wrap a heating pad or hot water bottle in a cloth, and then secure the compress to yourself - for example, with a towel.

Method 4 of 4: Preventing Muscle Cramps

1. 1 Drink plenty of fluids. Provide your body with enough water, especially if you sweat a lot. If your body is dehydrated, you are more likely to have muscle cramps. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water or healthy drinks throughout the day.
   • Replenish wasted electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium, when you exercise or are sick. You can make adjustments to your diet to replenish your electrolyte supply.
2. 2 Eat right. Proper nutrition, whatever one may say, is a guarantee of health in general and a way to prevent muscle spasms in particular. In addition, it is possible to get rid of irritable bowel syndrome (and related spasms) by making dietary changes. Potassium, antioxidants, and healthy fats are especially important in this regard. Here are some of the foods you should eat more often:
   • Bananas, potatoes, plum juice, dried fruits, oranges, brown rice, avocados, spinach, seafood, almonds, flaxseeds, oats, sesame seeds, tofu, and kale.
3. 3 Get exercise. Regular exercise can help reduce muscle cramps as it strengthens the muscles. Regular exercise will have a beneficial effect on your overall health.
   • Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about which exercises you should include in your exercise schedule.
4. 4 Stretch regularly. Cramps occur when a muscle contracts and cannot relax. Stretching exercises can help relieve muscle tension, however. Make sure to stretch before exercising, especially if you have a long or hard workout ahead of you.
   • If you often experience cramps at night, do stretching exercises before bed to relieve muscle tension. You can also exercise on a stationary bike before bed to help prevent muscle spasms.

Tips

• If you suffer from chronic or frequent cramps, be sure to discuss this with your doctor. We all sometimes have a muscle or two, but frequent spasms can be a symptom of a more serious problem that requires treatment.
• Freeze water in a Styrofoam cup. Cut off the bottom of the cup. Massage the spasm for 10-12 minutes. Take a break for 20 minutes. Then repeat. Repeat the procedure six times a day.
• Take a hot bath or shower to relieve cramps. If you are taking a bath, add Epsom salts.