Muscle spasm can occur in both smooth muscle and striated skeletal muscle. Muscle spasm is the involuntary, prolonged contraction of muscle tissue, where the muscle tissue is unable to relax again, or only after a period of time. The contraction is so strong and/or persistent that it causes severe pain. If the musculoskeletal spasm persists for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to muscle fibre damage and muscle contraction. It can affect any muscle in the body, but it is more common in certain muscles (e.g. the calf), lasting from a few seconds to a quarter of an hour. Let’s look at the common types of muscle spasm.
