Muscle Spasm

Why do muscles sometimes go into spasm? There are lots of reasons:

Muscles are tiny spindles linked together by proteins that slide over each other. They are enclosed in a bag or sheath called fascia. It is the whitish elastic stuff that you see if you carve a leg or shoulder of lamb.
Muscles spindles need a nerve supply and nutrition. The nerve endings form a kind of flower spray arrangement into the muscles. Nutrition is supplied by good blow flow bringing glucose, sodium, potassium, magnesium, oxygen and water. There are tiny power stations called mitochondria inside the cells of the muscles. The power stations need energy. Enzymes convert nutrition into energy. Co enzyme Q 10 is one of the key enzymes that enable energy production. The unit or currency of energy transfer is ATP or adenosine -5- triphospate.

Muscle fatigue is caused by:
Poor circulation or blood flow
Overusing muscles that you are not used to using
Medications that affect the production of Co enzyme Q 10
Dehydration and low electrolyte levels
Poor breathing or anything that prevents oxygen from reaching the muscles (hypoxia)
Old damage to muscle fibres from past injuries
Diabetes or any other condition that affects the circulation
Damage to the nervous system that stops the muscles from relaxing. A stroke for instance will 'switch on' the flexor muscles that bend the joints.

Once when I was walking in the Bavarian Alps I suffered from heat stroke. After 8 hours of steep walking in hot sunshine I started to sweat profusely through my head. Being totally alone on a mountain pass I stopped to try and drink. I felt waves of nausea every time that I tried to drink water. In my first aid kit was a pot of soda bicarbonate mixed with salt. I made myself lick the dry mixture. Within a few minutes I could eat a bowl of muesli with rich Alpine milk. That and some water kept me going for another four hours of steep walking with a 20 kg rucksack. Next time I will leave more kit behind.

Muscles also go into spasm as a protective measure. If we suddenly slip when doing something we make tiny changes to the bones that anchor the muscles. The muscles are put under a sudden strain. The brain perceives that the ligaments that bind the joints together will be strain and splints the joints. The only splint available is the muscles. Ligament pain is acute and disabling. The body needs careful re-alignment to enable the muscles to relax. That is why I am never out of work!