Muscle spasms (cramps) are involuntary convulsive contractions of a muscle area, limiting movement and causing severe pain syndrome. A muscle in a state of sudden tension becomes hard and dense; in addition, a change in its shape and uncontrolled twitching may be observed. Seizures can affect any skeletal muscle musculoskeletal system, however, the muscles of the anterior and posterior surface of the thigh are most susceptible to spasms, as well as calf muscle.

Why do such pains occur? Muscles may contract when performing physical exercise, while swimming, when walking or sitting for a long time, and in some cases, convulsive syndrome can occur even during sleep.

Most often, muscle spasms bother athletes, older people, and people whose professional activities involve increased physical activity. When such episodes are permanent, you should definitely consult a specialist, as this may be a signal of many serious illnesses.

Reasons

Generalized seizures may occur against the background of such pathological conditions:

  • encephalitis of various origins;
  • inflammation meninges;
  • epileptic syndrome;
  • traumatic injuries;
  • tumor diseases;
  • eclampsia in pregnancy;
  • infectious and intoxication processes accompanied by a significant increase in temperature. Most often, such attacks occur in young children.


The exact cause of seizures can only be determined after the patient undergoes a medical examination.

Local convulsions can be triggered by:

In fact, seizures are a kind of reaction of the human nervous system to the influence of internal or external factors. Therefore, if attacks of this kind occur frequently and for no apparent reason, this is a clear reason to visit a competent specialist.

Convulsive contraction of leg muscles

Leg muscle cramps are one of the most common convulsive conditions which many people face, regardless of age. The reasons for their occurrence are usually associated with nervous strain, wearing shoes that cause discomfort, and prolonged exposure to the cold.


Leg cramps rarely require treatment; in most cases, to completely get rid of them, simply eliminate them external reasons

Muscle spasms caused by these reasons do not require treatment, since they are not pathological. In such cases, it is enough to simply eliminate the provoking factor, and the condition will be completely normalized.

But if you are concerned about frequent and prolonged leg muscle cramps, especially at night, you should definitely visit a doctor to determine true reasons their occurrence.

If the trigger for the development of convulsive syndrome was a lack of potassium, magnesium or calcium in the blood, then therapeutic measures will be directed at the inflammation of these minerals. An appropriate appointment will be made. drug therapy, in addition to which recommendations on diet will be given. This treatment will achieve positive result in a short time.

Other seizures

Muscle spasms can range from a slight twitching of the muscle to a pronounced contraction accompanied by severe pain. Cramps can cramp the muscles of the entire body, or cover a specific part of the muscles.

Convulsive attacks can be strong and prolonged, and can be repeated several times in a short period of time. In severe cases, convulsions are accompanied by loss of consciousness, unbearable pain and inflammatory processes. Painful condition may persist for up to several days after the seizure.

Abdominal muscle cramps

The reasons for this type of convulsive contraction may include:


Abdominal muscle cramps can be caused by very minor reasons, for example, due to the accumulation of gases. But sometimes they are a sign of quite serious diseases.

Such attacks are extremely rare, and each individual clinical case requires detailed diagnosis.

Thigh muscle spasm

This kind of convulsive attack occurs for the same reasons as cramps in the calf muscles. In some cases, these two conditions can combine, causing the patient to experience severe pain.

Sometimes the provocateur of this phenomenon is a violation of the innervation of the femoral muscles, which may be associated with the presence of diseases spinal column.

Whole body spasms

Painful contraction of the muscles of the whole body most often occurs against the background of hidden pathological processes in the body. These include:

  • cystic formations of the brain;
  • past infectious diseases;
  • epilepsy;
  • intoxication of the body caused by poisoning;
  • brain tumors.


The impetus for the development of a convulsive attack is overexcitation nerve cells in a certain part of the brain

In such cases, the patient needs to be examined by a neurologist. After establishing the causes of the pathological condition and carrying out competent treatment, the convulsive syndrome, as a rule, is quickly eliminated.

Night cramps

Convulsive muscle contractions that occur during sleep can be triggered by diseases such as:

In addition, various disorders of the nervous system, unbalanced nutrition, frequent stress, and impaired blood supply to the muscles can act as provocateurs for cramps that appear in bed at night.

Causes of convulsive muscle contractions in children

In children, convulsive syndrome occurs much more often than in adults; this occurs due to the immaturity of various brain structures and an incompletely formed thermoregulation center. One of the most common causes of seizures in children is hyperthermia.


If your child experiences muscle spasms regularly and lasts more than 15 minutes, you should definitely seek medical help.

In addition, muscle cramps in children can develop as a result of a number of reasons, among which it is worth highlighting:

  • diseases of viral or bacterial origin;
  • traumatic damage to the meninges;
  • intracerebral hemorrhage;
  • body poisoning toxic substances or decay products of pathogenic microorganisms;
  • metabolic disorders that increase the likelihood of developing pathologies of the nervous system;
  • hereditary predisposition;
  • bleeding disorders;
  • epileptic syndrome.

Only a qualified specialist can say exactly why a child has muscle cramps and what to do in such a situation, after all necessary tests.

Convulsive contraction can affect any muscles: respiratory, facial and laryngeal, and convulsions can also be observed masticatory muscles. But no matter what kind of convulsions you have encountered, you should not neglect medical advice, since such a condition may indicate the presence of quite serious diseases.

Kuznetsov's applicator. Relief from back and neck pain Dmitry Koval

Contractures (persistent contraction of muscles)

Characteristics of the disease

Contracture is persistent contraction of a muscle and significantly delayed relaxation. The severity of contracture depends on the strength of irritation. As a rule, the disease develops slowly.

Contractures can be congenital or acquired. In the first case, the cause of limited mobility is underdevelopment of muscles and joints. Acquired contractures occur:

As a result of dysfunctions of the nervous system;

As a result of disturbances in the functioning of peripheral nerves;

As protection against pain;

As a result of professional activity (multiple long-term contractions of certain muscle groups);

In case of metabolic disorders in the muscle;

In case of poisoning with certain poisons;

When the temperature rises (above 45-60 degrees Celsius).

Instant irreversible contractures can occur when the sympathetic nervous system is overexcited or large amounts of adrenaline are ingested, causing the disorder nervous regulation metabolism in muscles.

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“Corcha” is how in the old days they called a condition when the muscles of the whole body cramped. The causes of this phenomenon have different etiologies.

Nowadays, involuntary contractions of muscle tissue have a different name: convulsive syndrome, muscle spasms, cramps. They are localized in the muscle tissue.

The concept of “convulsive syndrome”

Muscle spasms (convulsions) or convulsions are contractions of involuntary muscle fibers that limit movement and cause severe pain.

Convulsions are a reaction to certain pathological changes in the body. By localization they may affect a certain part muscle tissue or a whole group.

At the time of convulsions, the muscle hardens and is in a tense state. Cramps can occur in any part of the skeletal muscle, but the gastrocnemius and thigh muscles are often affected.

Why does pain develop?

Painful spasms are explained as follows: the muscle tissue does not receive oxygen and the necessary enzymes in the required quantities - oxygen starvation occurs. During work, an excess amount of substances is released into the muscle, which negatively affects nerve receptors. This irritation from the nerve cells causes pain.

Minor Factors

Cramps in the legs and arms can be triggered by a person’s lifestyle and professional activities; a group of people are more often susceptible: athletes, workers, people leading a sedentary lifestyle. Long-term smokers, coffee and alcohol drinkers suffer from cramps.

Also, while swimming in cool water, muscles can tighten, preventing movement, which can lead to tragic consequences.

Insufficient fluid intake (dehydration or excessive sweating) is a minor factor in pain. muscle contractions.

Reduces the body from taking it medicines(diuretics, antibiotics), therefore, medical consultation and adherence to strict doses are required.

Cramps can begin during sports, swimming, walking, while sitting, or even while a person is sleeping.

Pathology of seizures

Complaints come from patients that the muscles of the whole body have contracted during sleep. Only a doctor can explain the reason and make a diagnosis. The appearance of spasms is influenced by the following pathological factors:

  • Severe convulsive syndrome is characteristic of tetanus (opisthotonus). This disease can be fatal.
  • Brain cyst.
  • Past infections.
  • Encephalitis, inflammation of the brain centers and membranes.
  • Epileptic state.
  • Head injuries.
  • Tumors.
  • Convulsive spasms against the background of neuroses.
  • Intoxication due to poisoning with high fever in children.
  • Overexcitation of nerve cells in the brain.
  • Muscle strain.
  • Birth and intrauterine injuries in newborns.
  • Eclampsia during pregnancy.

In these and other cases, the therapist refers the patient for examination to a neurologist and neuropathologist.

Only with a thorough examination can the factors provoking the occurrence of convulsive syndrome be determined.

A muscle cramp can range from minor twitches to violent contractions with severe pain.

Types of muscle spasms

According to the nature of the manifestation, seizures can be strong and prolonged, repeating several times a day. In severe cases, possible unbearable pain, up to loss of consciousness. After an attack, pain in the affected area persists for several days.

If the spasm is caused by a lack of trace elements in the blood (calcium, magnesium, potassium), then drug treatment aimed at replenishing them and changing the diet. Such therapy has a positive effect on the patient’s condition in a short period of time.

Nighttime manifestations of muscle cramps are affected by diseases such as varicose veins, diabetes mellitus, disorders of the endocrine or nervous system, atherosclerosis, stressful situations, lack of vitamins and impaired blood flow in the muscles.

Convulsive spasms in children

Seizures in children are observed 2 times more often than in adult patients.

A common cause of muscle spasms in children is immaturity. various departments brain and thermoregulation center, and hyperthermia can also provoke their appearance.

In addition, muscle spasms can begin from other factors:

  • Viral and bacterial infections.
  • High temperature.
  • Head injuries.
  • Brain hemorrhage.
  • Poisoning with chemical or toxic substances.
  • Hereditary factor.
  • Metabolic imbalance.

If you have frequent and regular seizures lasting more than 15 minutes, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only a doctor can determine and prescribe the exact cause and treatment.

Convulsive syndrome can involve any muscle group: respiratory, chewing, laryngeal, facial. Regardless of where the muscles cramp, you should definitely consult a therapist, as this can lead to serious illnesses.

Cramps during pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a pathology, but the processes that occur in a woman’s body can lead to metabolic disorders, contributing to changes in hormonal levels. This leads to stagnation of blood circulation in the vessels and organs.

Causes of seizures:

  1. Lack of vitamins.
  2. Anemia (lack of iron).
  3. Excess glucose.
  4. Venous congestion and varicose veins.
  5. Violation of work and rest regime
  6. Limitation of physical movements (bed rest to maintain pregnancy).

Therapeutic measures to eliminate cramps

At mild form manifestations of the disease, no special treatment is required. What to do if an attack occurs suddenly? You can give a relaxing massage to the cramped part of the body. Start taking microelements and vitamins, eliminate bad habits, consume more water and less caffeine, play sports and exercise.

Water procedures help with sudden spasms. The foot or hand is placed under the stream hot water. Athletes use a fairly simple and in an effective way- pricking with a needle or pin into the affected area.

If the disease is caused by pathology, then anticonvulsant drugs that relieve spasms are prescribed: Phenobarbital, Depakine, Dibenzazepine, Phenazepam.

Anticonvulsants (except Phenobarbital) have a suppressive effect on the convulsive reaction without depressing the central nervous system and do not cause a hypnotic effect.

These drugs are available in pharmacies only with a prescription and are taken under the supervision of a doctor in a strict dosage.

Considering characteristic features convulsions and frequency of duration, they are divided into:

  • Tonic spasms are prolonged tension in the muscles.
  • Contractions of the clonic type - a change from the tension phase to the relaxation phase - cause jerking movements - tremors.
  • Tonic-clonic - muscle tremors that involve the entire muscle tissue of the legs, arms, and fingers. Popularly called convulsions.

Individual muscle contractions

Anyone who has experienced a seizure attack at least once in their life knows how unpleasant, painful and uncomfortable it is.

  • Infrequently, trismus occurs - convulsive contraction of the masticatory muscles, beginning due to irritation of the trigeminal nerve in epileptic syndrome, tumors, meningitis, and tetanus.
  • Blepharospasms - contraction of the circular muscle tissue of the eye - a symptom of damage to the organs of vision, dental diseases, and nasopharynx. But eyelid twitching (nervous tic) is considered a harmless phenomenon and occurs in sensitive individuals.

Also, other involuntary twitching of certain parts of the body (neck, arms, back, legs) - nervous muscle contractions, during which a person does not experience pain, can be the cause of a lack of microelements.

Short-term muscle spasms that do not cause suffering or pain indicate illness. We should not ignore the signals that our body sends to external irritations.

Basically, they come at night, in a dream, although they always wake a person up and make him writhe in pain. “Writhing” is what old people would call a phenomenon when legs, arms or other parts of the body cramp. Nowadays such a word is no longer in use, and contractions of muscle fibers that do not depend on the will of a person have their own names (convulsions, spasms) or are simply expressed: a leg (arm) cramped.

Seizures often appear as symptoms of a certain pathology, that is, there is always a reason for them and depending on it, cramps are rare, frequent, constant, affect one muscle or a whole group, occur in skeletal muscles or prefer smooth muscles

Stone muscle

Cramps are not only a sudden contraction of the calf muscle, which can numb a person when swimming in a cold body of water, or a convulsive contraction of the muscles of the entire body, characteristic of an epileptic seizure.

The types of seizures are diverse and they differ in many ways:

  • Depending on which muscles are affected: smooth or striated;
  • Are the seizures epileptic or have a different pathogenesis;
  • Based on the reason;
  • Taking into account the time of muscle tension and the nature of the convulsive attack.

We will not go into the details of such a serious disease as, a description of which is already on our website, but will consider the topic: seizures, which are manifestations of lifestyle or symptoms of another disease.

For those who have forgotten what a cramp is, we remind you of its symptoms:

  1. A muscle, suddenly frozen in one position, hard as stone, protrudes above the surface of the body;
  2. Often the pain is so severe that the person is unable to suppress a cry;
  3. The duration of a convulsive attack varies: from a minute to a quarter of an hour.


Muscle pain is explained as follows:
as soon as continuous contractions begin in it, which cannot be stopped by force of will, the muscle tissue ceases to receive oxygen and nutrients in sufficient quantities, that is, it experiences starvation. In addition, during a short period of intense work, muscle tissue releases a significant amount of waste products, which, if in excess, negatively affect nerve endings. Irritation of nerve endings during a spasm is the sensation of pain by a person whose leg, arm, or jaw have been cramped by a spasm.

The main causes of sudden muscle contractions

There is always an explanation for such behavior of the muscular system, which, however, is not always easy to find (you need to see a doctor, take tests, undergo an examination).

Briefly touching upon the main causes of involuntary muscle contractions, they can be characterized as follows:

Of course, it is not easy to list all the factors that could lead to such unpleasant sensations. A seizure as a symptom can accompany diseases that are completely unrelated in nature. But due to the fact that readers are more interested in cramps that cramp the limbs than spasms of smooth muscle fibers that cause pain inside the body, our further narrative will be devoted to this particular problem (causes of cramps in the legs and other parts of the musculoskeletal system, their symptoms and treatment ). In addition, seizures in children are of particular concern to adults; they also cannot be ignored.

Video: specialist on the causes and treatment of seizures


It's my own fault...

Convulsive contractions are more disturbing at night, to which the posture predisposes: the sleeper lies on his side, his knees are slightly bent, his feet are relaxed and slightly turned down - in this position, the calf muscle shortens and becomes ready to spasm. More often convulsive muscle contractions lower limbs observed in athletes who force their legs to work very actively in daytime, and in elderly people suffering from circulatory disorders in the vessels of the extremities. Quite often, involuntary twitching and shuddering are observed with fever in a young child (usually under 6 years of age).

The causes of cramps in the legs and arms can be due to the behavior or lifestyle of the person himself:

  1. Professional activities: It is known that people who stand all day behind a counter or operating table, carrying loads or checking tickets for passengers often experience night cramps.
  2. Heavy smokers suffer from muscle spasms 5 times more often than those who cannot stand cigarettes. By the way, alcohol and coffee are also among the causes of leg cramps.
  3. A day spent running around or a brisk walk for a couple of kilometers - at night I had a cramp in the calf muscle. Night cramps often turn into just severe physical work, which a person performs on his own initiative during the daytime (dug up a garden, moved furniture). You need to make sure that only one muscle group is not tense; if possible, work and relaxation should alternate.
  4. Swimming in hot weather in a cool pond, unfortunately, it can bring not only a lot of positive emotions, many tragic cases are recorded every year - severe convulsions pulled a person to the bottom. By the way, swimming in the pool also does not exclude the occurrence of sudden muscle spasms; swimmers probably know about this. The reason why the leg cramps, making it impossible to move in the water, is temperature difference: a heated muscle apparatus, finding itself in unexpected conditions, contracts.
  5. Cramps legs and arms when dehydration (increased sweating and lack of fluid), so in hot weather you need to provide yourself with water in full, especially for people actively involved in sports, working in the field and those who like to explore hot tropical latitudes.
  6. are able to remind themselves even in a dream, when it would seem that the patient has calmed down. This stress hormone cortisol “tried” - its excess amount in the body led to the redistribution of calcium necessary for the normal functioning of the muscular system.
  7. Spasms of the muscle fibers of the foot may be a consequence of existing flat feet in combination with excessive load on ankle joint, as well as the result of wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes.
  8. Reduces cramps during sleep and not only with uncontrolled use of medications(for example, certain groups of diuretics, statins, antibiotics and other drugs that remove or redistribute microelements in the body), therefore therapy with certain drugs requires mandatory control over the biochemical composition of the blood.

Healthy people who do not overload themselves with unnecessary activities, who avoid stress and extreme situations, suddenly notice that cramps have begun in the muscles of the lower leg, foot, fingers... No, no, and at night, for no reason at all, a spasm will occur, leaving a painful sensation in the morning. First of all, you should think about whether there is enough magnesium and other microelements in the body and, of course, reconsider the diet: perhaps starvation or insufficient intake for other reasons of calcium, magnesium, sodium and vitamins that provide normal work muscle fibers, led to this? Hypomagnesemia often manifests itself as cramps and pain in the muscles of the neck, back, limbs, and tingling in the fingertips. A lack of vitamins A, B, D, E affects muscle contractility, which must be kept in mind when cramps occur in the legs.

Quick help and simple treatment

This kind of muscle contraction most likely will not require special treatment, however, the pain will not be tolerated for long, so we can recommend several ways to deal with such unexpectedness:


Other measures aimed at preventing spasms during sleep or during the day should primarily include:

  1. A diet enriched with microelements and vitamins (blood biochemistry will show what is missing);
  2. Elimination of harmful addictions (alcohol, smoking, strong coffee and other tonic drinks);
  3. Adequate fluid intake;
  4. Physical exercise to improve blood circulation and relax skeletal muscles;
  5. To prevent night cramps, it is good to take a rule: an evening warm shower or bath with aromatic oils that relax the muscles.

If the listed measures do not seem enough, you can purchase a special vitamin complex with microelements at the pharmacy (necessarily including ) and take it. It should be borne in mind that even in the absence of magnesium deficiency in the patient’s body, drugs containing Mg will not interfere for the simple reason that, passing between the nerve fibers, this chemical element reduces neuromuscular excitability. In a word, use magnesium supplements – you won’t go wrong.

Cramps are a symptom of the disease

Cramps in arms, legs and other parts of the body, often due to some illness. Especially, night cramps are typical for people who have accumulated various chronic pathologies during their lives, why do the elderly have involuntary muscle tension observed to a greater extent. Convulsive contractions of certain muscles or an entire group can be a consequence of many pathological conditions:

  • Daytime and nighttime cramps that occur in various parts of the body’s muscles often accompany liver damage(hepatitis, cirrhosis);
  • Along with other symptoms (fever, dehydration, intoxication), the whole body cramps when severe poisoning;
  • Leg cramps may be caused by ();
  • Cramps in the legs at night in people with ;
  • Severe convulsions occur with ;
  • Lumbosacral form of ALS ( ) at the beginning of its development is manifested by weakness of the muscles of the lower extremities and the occurrence of convulsions in them; with the cervicothoracic variant of motor neuron disease, cramps in the arms, the onset of muscle atrophy fingers;
  • A decrease in the level of ( ), which cannot sufficiently provide tissues with oxygen;
  • IN early postoperative period the occurrence of a convulsive attack is also due to the low concentration of oxygen in the tissues;
  • Leg cramps are also characteristic of such vascular diseases of the lower extremities as And ;
  • Twitching and spasms occur when hormonal balance (increased hormone production thyroid gland );
  • Leg cramps can be caused by (, lack of nutrition of the muscular system of the lower extremities).
  • Involuntary twitching (tics) is common in some (fortunately rare) genetic abnormalities(mutation of genes that control the synthesis of some contractile protein).

Due to the fact that seizures are only one of the symptoms of the listed, sometimes quite severe, pathological conditions, treatment will be reduced to correcting the underlying disease.

For muscle spasms, of course, anticonvulsants are used, for example, derivatives of valproic acid (Depakine, Convulex) and dibenzazepine (Finlepsin), barbiturates (phenobarbital), benzadiazepines (Phenazepam), but they are not freely sold in pharmacies, their prescription must be justified, and this is up to the attending physician. Magnesium sulfate helps with convulsions, but it must be administered intramuscularly or intravenously, which is also not recommended. But preparations containing magnesium and other microelements (Orthocalcium + magnesium), and vitamin complexes(Ortho Taurine Ergo) can be very useful in these cases.

Convulsions in a child: with fever and other reasons

Seizures occur more frequently in children compared to the adult population. The immature nervous system of a young child can react in a similar way to any irritants, which are primarily acute and chronic diseases:

  1. Infections affecting the nervous system;
  2. Injuries of various locations, but especially craniocerebral;
  3. Increased intracranial pressure (dropsy, hydrocephalus);
  4. Cystic formations that compress the cerebrospinal fluid pathways and blood vessels;
  5. Various genetic pathologies;
  6. Endocrine disorders;
  7. Electrolyte shift (potassium deficiency, sodium deficiency or excess, etc.);
  8. Poisoning;
  9. Feverish conditions;
  10. Hysterical attacks in order to get the desired result in any way (even rolling on the floor);
  11. Convulsive variant;
  12. Epileptic seizures are included in a separate group, but established epilepsy constitutes a small proportion in the general population (no more than 1%).

Meanwhile, despite the variety of factors that cause increased convulsive readiness, in most cases they have a common basis: disruption of blood supply to the brain, and as a result - his starvation, acidosis and other metabolic disorders in the central nervous system. By cramps in children, we generally mean their generalized nature, although muscle spasms that occur in cold water, during active sports or other stress are also not excluded. Of course, more often this kind of muscle contraction occurs in schoolchildren, that is, at an older age.

Febrile convulsions in children with fever

The greatest number of convulsive conditions occurs against the background high temperature in a child ( febrile seizures occupy, according to various authors, from 25 to 85% of all cases), and it is not at all necessary that the thermometer rise to 39 - 40 degrees. Some babies cannot tolerate temperatures of 38°C or slightly higher. Febrile seizures can present in different ways:

  • Short-term slight twitching of the limbs, rolling of the eyes;
  • Relaxation throughout the body, indifference for a short time, involuntary bowel movements and urination;
  • Tension of the entire muscular system: arms are brought to the chest, legs are extended, the head is thrown back, the eyes are rolled up, the body trembles.

Typically febrile seizures last a couple of minutes, however, if a quarter of an hour passes and nothing changes, you should dial “103”.

In general, seizures with fever in a child do not require special treatment, Parents of such children, worried for the first time, try not to let the thermometer cross the critical mark. As a rule, by the age of 6 everything returns to normal and an increase in temperature to subfebrile levels no longer causes such a reaction in the body.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky about seizures in children and their relief

Reason: pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a disease, but it also cannot be ignored, since the processes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman, whose task is to provide the fetus with everything necessary, lead to metabolic disorders, change hormonal background, impede blood circulation in the vessels of the pelvic organs and lower extremities and thereby contribute to the fact that the muscles periodically cramp. Thus, the cause of seizures during pregnancy is considered to be:

  1. Lack of vitamins and microelements;
  2. Development of anemia;
  3. Increased blood glucose levels (gestational diabetes);
  4. Varicose veins of the lower extremities and venous congestion;
  5. Failure to comply with the diet, work and rest regime provided for pregnant women;
  6. Limitation of physical activity (concern for maintaining pregnancy - forced on the recommendation of doctors or organized on one’s own initiative).

It will be better if a doctor prescribes treatment for such a scourge in pregnant women. He will carefully collect anamnesis, conduct biochemical research blood, check blood circulation in the vessels, evaluate general condition body and advise in which direction to move: it will be enough to balance the diet, saturating it with the missing microelements, or you will have to undergo treatment in a hospital setting.

Muscle spasms and cramps - is there a difference?

People are more likely to call convulsions involuntary contraction skeletal muscles. In the same category, people include attacks of stiffness and pain that occur, for example, in the calf muscle during sleep, in cold water or after intense muscular work. To explain their condition, patients use generally accepted, and therefore understandable in all circles, terminology: “cramped arm, a cramp began in the leg, severe cramps in the fingers began...” Everything is correct, but contractions of the smooth muscles of the vascular walls, intestines, bronchi and other organs that occur without a human command are also convulsions, which are usually called spasms.

Also closely related are cramps of this (spasms) and other (tension of striated muscles) types. Attacks of cephalalgia are caused by:

In addition, other various (cold, stress, brain diseases and internal organs) factors can cause headaches and cramps at the same time, so a person often does not have time to understand: the cramps were the cause of ill health or the headache first, and then other symptoms appeared.


Thus:

  1. Seizures may affect smooth muscles, cause pain and functional disorders of the internal organs: bronchospasm underlies such a disease as bronchial asthma, spasm of the coronary vessels causes attacks of angina pectoris, intestinal colic occurs from sudden tension of the intestinal walls, and headache is a consequence of spasm of cerebral vessels;
  2. Convulsions occur due to sudden contraction skeletal muscles(cramps arm, leg, fingers, etc.). The body's motor ability most often suffers from such muscle contractions.

seizures: tonic (top) and clonic (bottom)

Taking into account the nature of the convulsive attack and the duration of muscle contraction over time seizures are divided into:

  • Tonic– the muscles remain tense for a long time;
  • Clonic– phases of tension and relaxation replace each other, forcing the muscle to perform characteristic twitching (jolts);
  • Tonic-clonic.

Jerky contractions that cover all the muscles of the body (at the same time bringing legs, arms, fingers together), people often call convulsions.

Anywhere, anytime

It is clear that muscle spasm can occur anywhere human body, where muscle fibers are present, however, if every person has experienced leg cramps at least once in their life, then some arise only due to certain, usually unpleasant, circumstances. Meanwhile, people’s attitude to the signals sent by the body through individual tissues is ambiguous:

  • Relatively rare trismus– spasms of the masticatory muscles, which begin with irritation of the trigeminal nerve in epilepsy, tetanus, meningitis, neoplasms, are undoubtedly classified as terrible symptoms;
  • Blepharospasms when the orbicularis ocular muscles contract as a result of damage to the organ of vision, nasopharynx, or due to dental pathology, it is noted as a symptom of the listed diseases, but a nervous tic (eyelid twitches), which occurs from time to time in particularly sensitive people, is perceived as a transient harmless phenomenon ;
  • Infrequently associated with pathology and others nervous tics , hiccups, involuntary twitching of the muscles of the neck, arms, back, but these are also muscle spasms, which are usually not accompanied painful sensations and most often occur due to a lack of magnesium in the body.

It should be noted that short-term convulsive twitches, which do not bring so much suffering, are also a variant of the described pathology. They simply occur more easily and people often do not attach much importance to them, but in vain - they can be a signal that something is wrong in the body.

Video: convulsions in the program “About the Most Important Thing”

If your arm or leg cramps, should you see a doctor? The muscles contracted and released, the spasm ended - is there any reason for alarm? And which doctor should you go to with a complaint about muscle cramps? Let's try to answer these questions.

Muscle spasm

Probably every person has experienced muscle cramps at some point. In medical language, such a condition is called “ muscle spasm».

Our muscles are constantly under tension; Thanks to muscles, our body moves, maintains its shape, muscle contractions ensure the functioning of many internal organs and systems of the body. But sometimes muscles contract unnecessarily, involuntarily, and such contraction can be painful. The spasm can affect any skeletal muscle of the musculoskeletal system, but the gastrocnemius muscle (the muscle of the back of the lower leg) and the thigh muscles are most often affected.

The muscle can cramp during increased stress (for example, when playing sports) or at rest (when sitting at a computer or while sleeping).

Why do muscles cramp?

The cause of muscle spasm is often not easy to determine. In a significant number of cases, we have to talk about idiopathic muscle contraction (i.e., there is no obvious cause of the spasm).

Muscle cramps during sports usually caused by excessive or unusual load on a muscle (muscle group), dehydration and loss of calcium and potassium through sweat, and improper training.

What muscles cramp in sleep, as a rule, is explained by poor body position during sleep. When we sleep, our body is generally relaxed, but certain muscle groups experience increased stress; a long stay without movement does not allow this load to be redistributed to other muscles, which can lead to muscle cramps.

Most susceptible to muscle spasms:

  • athletes;
  • pregnant women;
  • elderly people (this is due to weakening of muscle tissue - muscle atrophy);
  • small children (first 3 years of life).

Factors contributing to muscle contraction are:

Muscle cramps: should I see a doctor?

A one-time muscle contraction in most cases is not a cause for concern. However, if muscle spasms occur frequently enough, it may be a symptom of a developing disease. Spectrum possible diseases wide enough; it includes vascular diseases (), liver diseases, kidney failure, thyroid diseases, nervous system disorders.

It is necessary to consult a doctor when contracting muscles if:

  • muscles cramp once a month or more often;
  • muscle cramps are very strong (cause severe pain);
  • muscle spasm has no obvious connection with physical activity;
  • muscle pain does not go away after simple procedures (relaxation and massage).

Which doctor should I contact if I have muscle cramps?

If you complain about periodic muscle cramps, you should first of all contact a general practitioner. If necessary, the therapist will refer you to specialist doctors, for example, if there is a suspicion of - to