Spasm

 ( Nervous And Musculoskeletal Systems ) 

A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a Skeletal muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ, such as the bladder.

A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a 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 fatigue.

There are other causes of involuntary muscle contractions, and some of these may cause a Disease.

A series of spasms, or permanent spasms, is referred to as a "spasmism".

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Description and causes Spasms occur when the part of the brain that controls movement malfunctions, causing involuntary muscle activity.

A spasm may be a muscle contraction caused by abnormal nerve stimulation or by abnormal activity of the muscle itself.

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Causes The cause of spasms is often unknown, but it can be due to an inherited genetic problem, a side effect of medications, Parkinson's disease, a stroke, cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis.

Old age can also cause spasms and cramp.

Spasms can occur in dystonia, and in spasticity.

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Effects

A spasm may lead to muscle strains or tears in tendons and ligaments if the force of the spasm exceeds the tensile strength of the underlying connective tissue. This can occur with a particularly strong spasm or with weakened connective tissue.

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Types of spasm

A Hypertonia is a condition of chronic, excessive muscle tone (i.e., tension in a resting muscle). This is the amount of contraction that remains when a muscle is not working. A true Tonicity is caused by malfunctioning feedback nerves. This is much more serious and is permanent unless treated. In this case, the hypertonic muscle tone is excessive, and the muscles are unable to relax.

A subtype of spasm is colic. This is an episodic pain caused by spasm of smooth muscle in a particular organ (e.g., the bile duct). A characteristic of colic is the sensation of having to move about, and the pain may induce nausea or vomiting.

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See also

• Antispasmodic
• Blepharospasm
• Cadaveric spasm
• Convulsion
• Cramp
• Cricopharyngeal spasm
• Ejaculation
• Epileptic seizure
• Jactitation (medicine)
• Myoclonus
• Neck spasm
• Orgasm
• Spasmodic dysphonia
• Spasticity

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External links

• NIH Medical Encyclopedia
• How Stuff Works

Categories: Nervous And Musculoskeletal Systems

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