Muscle Spasms - The Pull of Chronic Pain

Isaiah 21:3 - At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.

Sometimes our bodies pull us one way, while we try to pull in the opposite direction. That’s what it’s like living with chronic pain, especially when it involves muscle spasms.
 
1. As the muscles pull and cramp, you grab hold of something so that you don’t lose your balance and fall, because of the imbalance the spasm puts you in. Normally both sides of your body act together as one unit, but when an area of your muscles begins to become active with the pain from spasms, it can make it almost impossible to continue to do normal activities of life.
 
2. Muscle spasms attack your muscles and surrounding tissue. If it’s an area where you’ve been injured by a car accident or work-related injury, it can escalate not only to severe chronic pain, but it also takes a toll on your emotions. You try to remain calm and take some deep breathes. You rub your leg or shoulder and try to work out the knot that has formed due to the spasms.
 
3. Muscle spasms, also, are not always seen unless the spasm is so great that it contracts the muscles. Yet other times, the spasm may make an onslaught on your body, but no one can tell it’s happening except by looking at your face or the sight of you grabbing your back or leg.
 
Sometimes your doctor will send you to have physical therapy if the muscle spasms happen frequently.
 

• The physical therapist may set you up with sessions of electrical stimulation and heat.
• It’s important during your session to try to put stressful thoughts from crowding your mind and instead focus on your breathing.
• The physical therapy may also involve deep muscle tissue massaging, and exercises spent on aerobic and special weight bearing exercises.
• The therapist will also show you exercises to do at home to assist with the healing process.

 
With time, your muscle spasm may become better or even go away due to the muscles healing. But sometimes if you go back to an activity that puts strain on your body the muscle spasms may return.
 
So what are some other ways you can help ease muscle spasms? Draxe.com posts the article, “Remedies for Muscle Spasms, Leg Cramps and the Charley Horse.” The article lists reasons for muscle spasms and treatment such as preventing electrolyte imbalances with potassium and magnesium, as well as how to stretch and massage your muscles and getting plenty of rest for proper muscle recovery.
 
Take a look at the Bible verse above. Isaiah was a prophet during Bible times. He understood pain. His body wasn’t just racked with pain; it seized or took hold of him. It caused him to stagger and he was bewildered. He couldn’t understand what was going on. We, too, can walk around bewildered because of chronic pain. When muscle spasms seize us it’s hard to keep going. Thankfully God is the Great Physician and he can help carry our load and our pain. This way we don’t feel alone, and we will be better equipped with wisdom to know which treatment to undertake and whether to take care of ourselves at home or go to our physician.

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