Have you ever strained to reach something up high, or bent down low to pick something up off the ground, and all of a sudden it feels like your whole back has wrenched up due to a muscle spasm? We feel your pain! You were simply trying get something just out of reach, and now you feel like you can't even move. How can such a simple task result in such excruciating pain?
Well, it wasn't really just the one reach. Your muscle was already strained, and you just didn't know. That muscle was pushed to its limit, and it stiffened into a spasm to protect itself from further damage. Muscle spasms are typically the result of repetitive movements like heavy lifting, or poor posture from slouching in front of a computer screen all day. When your muscle has been strained over a period of time, one quick movement can send it into a spasm. When a spasm happens, the blood supply is cut off, which leads to even more pain and leaves you stuck on the couch, unable to move for what feels like forever. There are a number of things you can do to prevent a muscle spasm, and to help alleviate the pain from a muscle spasm that has already occurred.
Drink plenty of water and make it a daily goal to get the proper amount (1/2 ounce to 1 ounce for every pound you weigh).
Get periodic massages to loosen up your stiff muscles.
Increase your intake of calcium and magnesium, as muscle spasms are thought to be caused by reduced levels of both.
Rest up, and stretch both before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning.
See your chiropractor regularly.
Chiropractic care will help to correct stress to the nervous system, which allows your body to function properly. This will also help treat a muscle spasm or prevent them from ever happening in the first place.