Natural Muscle Spasm Treatment
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: A common question that I get consistently from patients, old or young, male or female, athletic or a couch potato is what they can do for muscle spasm treatment. For the sake of this article I will call a muscle spasm a forceful, intermittent & involuntary contraction of a muscle. A cramp is a sustained muscle spasm.
A muscle spasm is usually due to a muscle sprain, exercise, a joint irritation, dehydration, metabolic disorders or just overall fatigue. A cramp is due to the same things plus inadequate blood supply, mineral depletion or nerve compression.
Muscle Spasm Treatment
When you feel a muscle spasm or cramp, stop what you are doing. Try and massage and stretch the affected muscle out. If the problem is due to an acute (new) injury or sprain then put ice on it for 20 minutes and then off for 40 minutes. You can repeat this multiple times, but remember that after 20 minutes you will have gotten the maximum therapeutic benefit from the ice. The ice will help reduce the inflammation and irritation of the muscle. If this is a chronic (older) issue then moist heat will be beneficial. Use the heat for the same amount of time as the ice. Make sure that you are properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Coffee, tea and sodas are diuretics and tend to lead towards dehydration as does alcohol. If the spasm is due to exercise or an injury then make sure to give the muscles time to heal by minimizing activity. If things get worse, please consult with a physician or chiropractor about sports related rehabilitation or chiropractic rehabilitation.
Certain mineral deficiencies, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium can also lead to muscle cramps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recommendations for every vitamin and mineral in your diet. For potassium, the USDA suggests eating 4,700 milligrams per day. Potassium-rich foods include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, soy, yogurt and tuna. Your calcium intake should equal 1,000 milligrams per day. Good sources of calcium include sardines, soy, leafy green vegetables and dairy. A healthy diet also includes 420 milligrams of magnesium per day. Foods high in magnesium include nuts, squash, bran and lima beans. Other vitamins that can have an effect on your muscle irritability are vitamin D, E, B-1 & B-7. These all can help naturally treat muscle spasms.
Your Clear Lake Houston chiropractic Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
