Muscle spasms, also called cramps, are involuntary contractions of a muscle that can be helped by botulinum toxin, a protein that blocks the muscle spasm message. Strangely, eating more protein or taking a protein supplement may increase cramps. Spasms usually occur suddenly and are very painful, but in most cases resolve quickly on their own.
Causes
Muscle spasms can be caused by conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, trauma, spinal cord injury, and poisons that affect the nervous system, including some insecticides. Other causes of muscle spasms include prolonged exercise, dehydration and salt depletion, metabolic disorders, and myotonia.
Muscle Contractions
Muscles contract when the brain sends electrical signals through the spinal cord along nerve cells, also called motor neurons. These motor neurons lead to the muscle. The muscle releases chemicals that cause calcium ions to release from storage within the muscle. The calcium ions then interact with muscle proteins, actin and myosin, that are in the cell which causes them to slide past one another. When this happens, the motion shortens the cell by pulling their fixed ends closer, which eventually shortens the muscle and causes a spasm. In order to relax, the muscle needs to recapture its calcium and unlink the actin and myosin proteins.
Relaxing the Muscle
Sometimes the muscle will not relax because the messages to the brain tell it not to relax but to contract. An injection of botulinum toxin, also known as Botox, blocks these messages, allowing the muscle to relax.
Uses
Botulinum toxin is a protein that helps relieve the discomfort of facial twitches called hemifacial spasms. These spasms often affect the eyebrow, eyes, mouth and lips. It works for a lazy eye and for muscle spasms in the head and neck that have a tendency to pull in one direction. Some other uses are reducing wrinkles, lifting sagging breasts, eliminating excessive sweating, decreasing an enlarged prostate, reducing spasms from cerebral palsey and multiple sclerosis, relieving problems of an overactive bladder, reducing back pain spasms and relieving migraines. The injection is mixed with saline and is injected into the muscle with a tiny needle. It may take five to 10 injections to solve the problem. The injections can be repeated but their effectiveness diminishes with time.
Safety
There may be soreness at the botulinum toxin injection site and acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used. If it is severe enough use an ice pack. Occasionally, you may have a weakness of the muscle that was injected or all your muscles may feel sore. You could possibly have difficulty swallowing or a red rash that lasts a few days -- but for the most part any side effects wear off quickly.
