Muscle spasms happen

It is a brutal reality but the first step to treating a muscle spasm is to accept that it is happening- fighting it is only going to make the problem worse. Take a deep breath and commit to laying low for up to 72 hours (longer in extreme cases).

Step 1 is to ice. Muscle spasms represent a breaking point: what got you here was a set of soft tissue strains and sprains that went unaddressed until they could be borne no longer. In order to prevent a serious injury from occurring, your body goes into spasm. Unfortunately, at this point, a certain degree of injury has already occurred, and the accompanying inflammation is a good indicator of this. So step 1 is to use ice to reduce inflammation in the immediate aftermath of a spasm. 

Step 2 is switch to heat. After the inflammation has been reduced and the pain has receded, we need to start the healing process. Heat helps tight tissues relax, encourages blood circulation and brings the nutrients your body needs to heal.

Step 3 is to repair. After the spasms have stopped, you need to gently reintroduce your body to purposeful exercise, with a focus on strengthening the region of injury so that the spasms will not recur. 

But, really…why did the muscle spasm happen in the first place? 

This is something we can only answer if you pay a visit to our office in Westwood. Muscle spasms are preventable- but only if you are aware of the state of your spine in relation to your lifestyle. At OFW Chiropractic, we help you take action on behalf of your spine to prevent painful episodes like muscle spasms from becoming your reality.