Neck Muscle Spasm – What Causes Muscle Spasm And How To Get Relieve
Causes Of Neck Muscle Spasm
Muscle spasms are not only very inconvenient, but extremely painful as well. What makes things significantly worse is that you never really know when you are going to suffer from a muscle spasm. The attack can occur at completely unexpected times and a person will feel a rigid tightness in the affected area which may even feel like your body is being twisted like a corkscrew. When a muscle goes into spasm, all the fibers within the core of the muscle will contract simultaneously. This will occur most often when you make a sudden movement or try to over extend an already tensed up muscle that has not been properly prepared for the movement. This is the main reason why sportspersons take a considerable amount of time warming the muscles up before actively taking part in the sport. This helps prepare the muscles in the body for sudden movements and excessive extensions throughout the game or sport. However, unlike an ordinary cramp which also involves a sudden contraction, a muscle spasm will not usually release itself with movement. As a result, if your neck seems to lock up, chances are that you will not be able to move your head for a considerable amount of time. The muscles in the neck and back are the most likely to experience muscle spasms as they are known to become overstressed by the smallest of actions. For example, if a cool breeze blows over your neck muscles which are already tensed from a long day of being at the computer, the muscles might clench up against the chill, leaving you quite helpless and unable to move your head. Other factors that could contribute to the muscle spasms include a poor supply of oxygen to the affected muscles, dehydration which leads to a significant amount of sodium loss in the muscles, excessive trauma to the muscles or even menstruation.
The best and most effective method to help get rid of the muscle spasm is to gently rub a cube of ice over the area for about five minutes. This will first narrow the blood vessel before it makes it extremely wide, thereby allowing a rush of blood to flow into the affected area to help release the clenched fibers. Once done, you should also try to move slowly and gently to help restore normal circulation in the area and ease the fibers back into their customary patterns of contraction and relaxation