When muscles don’t relax
Do you sometimes have to tense your muscles, but they won’t relax no matter what you do? This is called a muscle spasm, and many people with fibromyalgia experience this problem. In fact, some researchers consider it a major source of our pain.
Spasms are different from muscle contractions, which are brief and usually painless. When a muscle spasms, it tightens and stays that way.
Spasms can be painful for anyone, and they’re worse for people with fibromyalgia because of a symptom called hyperalgesia, which is the name for how our nervous system amplifies pain signals.
What causes our muscle spasms?
There isn’t much research on why muscle spasms are involved in fibromyalgia. However, at least one study (Ge) suggests that spasms are caused by myofascial trigger points.
Myofascial trigger points (TRPS) are sticky bands of tissue that form when soft tissue injuries (such as a sprain or strain) don’t heal properly. A condition called myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) can develop in a person with multiple active trigger points. MPS is very common in people with fibromyalgia, and some doctors believe they are actually the same condition.
Trigger points look like hard nodules under the skin and are usually about the size of a pencil eraser. They hurt when pressed. More importantly, however, is that trigger points cause referred pain, which is pain in another area of your body. For example, a trigger point in the muscle that runs down the side of your neck can cause pain at the top of your head, as well as what feels like sinus pain under your eyes.
In the Ge study, researchers were able to reproduce the muscle pain of fibromyalgia—the seemingly random pain that occurs in areas where there is nothing abnormal in the tissue—by manipulating PGs. They concluded that PGs caused muscle spasms, which were largely responsible for fibromyalgia pain.
Of course, a single study is not conclusive.
Our muscle spasms can also be caused by other factors, such as overactive nerves, nutrient deficiencies, or a number of other factors.
Treat muscle spasms
Muscle spasms can be difficult to get rid of, so luckily we have a plethora of options.
Things that can be done at home include:
- heat, ice, or alternating between the two
- topical pain relievers, such as Aspercreme, Tiger Balm, or BioFreeze
- relaxation / meditation
- gentle stretching/yoga
- Epsom salt baths
- auto-massage
- rest
Nutritionally, several things are thought to help relieve muscle pain. While they haven’t generally been specifically studied for fibromyalgia, foods and supplements that may help include:
- magnesium and malic acid (separately or together, as magnesium malate)
- Potassium-rich foods such as dates, bananas, apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, peas, beans, potatoes, fish, and meat liver
- calcium (because cells need twice as much calcium to relax a muscle as to tighten one)
- vitamin D (which tends to be lacking in fibromyalgia.)
Healthcare professionals also have a variety of tools to help relax tight muscles, such as:
- trigger point injections
- acupuncture (which is one of the preferred treatments for PG)
- therapeutic massage, chiropractic manual therapies and others
- physical therapy
- prescription anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants
A 2002 study (Gur) suggests that low-level laser therapy may help relieve muscle spasms and the pain they cause in fibromyalgia. Several subsequent studies of this treatment have also been positive, although not all specifically examined the impact on muscle spasms.
Lifestyle changes
You may also be able to make lifestyle changes to help relieve or prevent muscle spasms. These might include:
- make your workstation more ergonomic
- improve your posture
- change where or how to sit to watch television
- looking for a pillow that gives you better support
- wear good shoes or insoles
It can be helpful to really examine your habits and see what you’re doing that may be aggravating your muscles and make simple changes. If you need help correcting your posture, you may want to talk to your doctor about physical therapy.
