Spasm
Involuntary contraction of a muscle, organ or orifice / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Spasm (disambiguation).
"Spasmodic" redirects here. For the British literary movement, see Spasmodic poets.
A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle,[2] a group of muscles, or a hollow organ, such as the bladder.
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Quick Facts Muscle spasm, Other names ...
Muscle spasm | |
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Other names | Charley horse, Cramp, or twitch. |
Pronunciation |
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Specialty | Neurology |
Duration | Seconds to 15 minutes or longer. |
Causes | Inadequate diet, physical overexertion, and tight/inflexible muscles [1] |
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A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a muscle cramp which is accompanied by a sudden burst of pain. A muscle cramp is usually harmless and ceases after a few minutes. It is typically caused by ion imbalance or muscle overload.
There are other causes of involuntary muscle contractions, and some of these may cause a health problem.
A series of spasms, or permanent spasms, is referred to as a "spasmism".