Muscle spasms
Muscle spasms, or muscle cramps are described as sudden and involuntary contractions of any of your muscles. This is a very painful state of the muscle that is resolved quickly in most cases, but sometimes requires treatment with such drug as Baclofen (lioresal). There are several types of muscles in your body - cardiac muscles, that can be found in the heart, skeletal muscles and smooth muscles. Skeletal muscles are connected to the bone with tendons and a contraction of the muscle leads to the movement of a certain part of your body. Most skeletal muscles are controlled by the brain, although there are many complex steps required to make some simple things - like a smile, for example, - happen. A contraction of a muscle involves cells and fibers consuming glucose, oxygen and some other chemicals found in the bloodstream. There are also smooth muscle spasms possible (smooth muscles can be found in internal organs and blood vessels) that are characterized by colicky pain in the organ involved. Smooth muscle pain can be associated with diarrhea, gallbladder pain, and kidney stone pain.
Muscle spasms can be different in nature and sensations experienced by the person. A muscle spasm can take place when your muscle is tired or overstretched. Muscle spasms can also have a positive role - they represent a kind of a warning mechanism that allows you to identify the problem in certain areas and can help to maintain circulation in the legs, for instance. Since a muscle requires glucose, water, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium to develop an organized contraction, the insufficient or abnormal supply of these important elements can cause the muscle to go into spasm. Other reasons for a muscle spasm may include atherosclerosis, diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid hormone issues and anemia, as well as certain diseases of the nervous system. The symptoms of muscle spasms that you get can depend on the muscle affected and the circumstances in which the spasm occurs. In most cases a spasm is developed quickly and suddenly and can last from several minutes for up to several hours. There is often the need to stretch the muscle affected, which in many cases helps resolve the problem.
Pretty much anything can trigger spasticity, while some conditions, such as kidney or bladder infection, will cause the spasticity to increase a lot. Sedentary lifestyle can also contribute - when someone is not used to regular exercising and suddenly makes an effort that involves some muscles that usually rest, a spasm is bound to happen. In case you get a muscle spasm the first thing to do is gently stretch the muscle that is painful to break the circle. Although most muscle spasms are likely to be resolved quickly, there are cases when they become severe and keep recurring, each time lasting for quite a long period. In that case your condition needs to be evaluated by a qualified health care professional. You will be asked questions to establish when your muscle spasms started and what they may be attributed to. You will also probably be expected to share whether you had any recent illnesses that may have contributed to the symptoms, and whether you are taking any medications likely to have the same effects. A history of diabetes, kidney disease and hypothyroidism may provide an explanation.
Although in most cases taking Baclofen as a regular tablet may help, there is more serious treatment that involves the implantation of a
Baclofen Pump. The pump is designed to deliver a certain amount of this medicine into the fluids that surround your spinal cord providing instant relief. Smaller amounts of Baclofen are required for this procedure as it is being delivered right to the spinal cord. With the implantation of the pump the patient is recommended to stop any other medicines that were used before to treat muscle spasms.
The treatment for alcoholism can vary and depend on whether you have lost all the control over your drinking - if this is not the case you may start by drinking less, although if you have already developed dependency this may be inefficient. The effects of drugs used to treat alcoholism are based on aversion therapy, when drinking alcohol is associated with a highly-unpleasant response of your body - nausea and vomiting caused by taking a certain medication. Zofran (ondansetron), Campral (acamprosate), Antabuse (disulfiram), Vivitrol (naltrexone), Zofran ODT (ondansetron), and Revia (naltrexone) are the most commonly prescribed remedies, and Antabuse is the most effective one. Antabuse works in the same way described above - by causing symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, nausea and flushing, and in some cases more serious ones. The severe reactions are likely to make the person taking Antabuse avoid drinking. Taking Antabuse or any other medications of the kind is of course not the cure - but it can remove the compulsion to drink, which is a good start for anyone unable to stop without external help. However, simply taking Antabuse and avoiding drinking is not that efficient - counseling will also help you to learn how to cope with stress and traumatic events and live without alcohol, developing control of your thoughts and actions. Once you manage to get rid of the problem, there are aftercare programs that will keep you from going back to drinking and cope with the lifestyle changes you had to apply.