The condition of full body spasm may be a reason to worry about, if it occurs frequently. This article will help you understand some of basic aspects of the condition.

To defined muscle spasm in a layman language, it refers to sudden occurrences of contraction of one or more muscles of the body. In the case of full body muscle spasm, as the name suggests, the muscles of the entire body may get affected. The symptoms are obvious, and may include a feeling of tightness in the limbs or other areas of the body. The affected areas may also feel hard to touch, and pain may be felt to be radiating throughout the body. In some cases, the affected person may also feel a hard lump of muscle tissue having formed beneath the skin; may occur in one or multiple places in the body. Such episodes should not cause any concern, if they tend to happen occasionally or do not cause any severe discomfort. However, on the other hand, if it is frequent, and occurring for no apparent cause, then a medical visit may prevent the worst to come.

What Triggers Spasms in the Entire Body?

Mild factors that can lead to a spasm in the entire body commonly include overuse of muscles during strenuous exercises or any kind of work at home or office, and dehydration. Prolonged periods of physical labor in hot weather, or being in the same position for long hours, etc., may also contribute to causing muscle spasms in different parts of the body. If the condition is caused by factors such as these in people who are healthy otherwise, then it is generally harmless. But this opinion could be reciprocated in case of people who are already suffering from certain underlying health problems. Issues such as arteriosclerosis, compression of the nerves, diabetes, kidney problems, disorders of the thyroid glands, low blood sugar, anemia, and deficiency of minerals in the body are some common examples in this respect.

Treatment

Generally, a few self-care measures at home such as doing stretching exercises (those recommended by the doctor), staying well hydrated, and having a nutritious diet, do well in managing the spasms. If the person has diabetes, anemia, etc., as the main cause of the spasms, then treating these conditions is what is taken up by the doctor. Application of ice helps to loosen tensed muscles, and if pain is felt then warm compression does well.

Muscle spasms can be prevented by drinking plenty of water (normally, 8-9 glasses of water is the minimum requirement on a daily basis), and stretching before sleeping or doing any stressful physical activity. These methods also help in treating the condition, as you may have read in the above lines. However, sex, diet, weather, age, health and other factors may vary the amount. The main purpose of drinking water is to keep the muscles hydrated, because then they can relax and be less irritated. And the benefit of stretching or let's say warming up is that you are signaling your muscles that they are about to get worked out. So this gives them enough time to adjust to the changes that would be brought by the physical activity, thereby preventing sudden muscle contraction thus, spasm.

To repeat, muscle spasm is generally a harmless condition, but when it starts occurring frequently then it can interfere with daily functioning. So you may expect the symptoms to resolve on their own if you are someone who stays in a good shape. And if it is otherwise, then better get yourself diagnosed and treated if required.