A spasm is an unexpected, violent and involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles accompanied by sudden burst of pain which is generally harmless but may interfere with function. It produces involuntary movement and distortion but ceases after a few minutes.
Spasms may occur due to disease, strain or injury to the muscle or nearby tissues. It could also be an impairment of circulation or disturbance of body chemistry which can be confined, severe or fairly generalized.
Painless or localized spasms are called tics. This involuntary movement of muscles, usually of the face, may seem to be a natural reaction or response to a certain stimulus but eventually, it will happen automatically even without any reason at all.
Spasmodic muscle contraction may also be due to a large number of medical conditions, however, including the dystonias. Muscle spasms occur early after an injury takes place. It is characterized by a tightening of muscles in the area which could be painful at times but not always. Later on, when the basic injury is not fixed, muscle spasms form muscle knots which are painful and become part of the problem. Often times, it is this...