What is the Difference Between Muscle Spasm and Seizure

Muscle spasm and seizure are two interconnected medical conditions. This is because some types of seizures, such as myoclonic seizures, are characterized by brief, jerking spasms of a muscle or muscle group. Both these conditions are sudden and uncontrollable.

The key difference between muscle spasm and seizure is their cause. Muscle spasm is a condition due to sudden movement of muscles involuntarily, while seizure is a condition due to sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Muscle Spasm 
3. What is a Seizure
4. Similarities – Muscle Spasm and Seizure
5. Muscle Spasm vs Seizure in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Muscle Spasm vs Seizure
7. FAQ – Muscle Spasm and Seizure

What is a Muscle Spasm?

A muscle spasm is a sudden, involuntary movement in one or more muscles. It is a very common condition. Muscle spasms can happen in any muscle of the body.  But they often affect the calf muscle. Over exercising, dehydration, and stress are the common causes of muscle spasms. Moreover, symptoms of muscle spasms include pain in the back, neck, or head, skin numbness, a pins-and-needles sensation, weakness in the muscles, tremors, poor coordination, slow movements, double vision, sleep problems, and paralysis.

A muscle spasm can be diagnosed through physical examinations, blood tests, CT scans, and electromyography (EMG). Furthermore, muscle spasms can be treated through drinking enough water, stopping any activity that led to the cramp, gently massaging the cramping muscle, applying an ice pack to soothe sore muscles, using a heating pad to relax tight muscles, and taking recommended antispasmodic medications.

What is a Seizure?

A seizure is a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells. It is usually caused by changes in the way nerve cells in the brain communicate. The symptoms of seizure may include short lived confusion, a staring spell, jerking movements in the arms and legs, loss of consciousness, and changes in thinking or emotions.

Tests to diagnose seizures include neurological examination, blood test, spinal tap, and imaging testing such as an electroencephalogram (EEG). Furthermore, treatment of seizures often involves antiseizure medicines, dietary therapy, and surgery.

Similarities Between Muscle Spasm and Seizure

1. Muscle spasms and seizures are two related medical conditions.
2. Some seizures can cause muscle spasms.
3. Both these are sudden and uncontrollable conditions.
4. They can be treated through specific medications and therapies.

Difference Between Muscle Spasm and Seizure

Definition

1. A muscle spasm is an involuntary or forceful contraction of a muscle.
2. A seizure is abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Causes

1. Muscle spasms can be caused by dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, muscular tension, overuse of muscle, high demand of blood flow, and underlying medical conditions such as atherosclerosis.
2. Seizures can be caused by abnormal blood sugar levels, certain medications, flashing or flickering lights, heat illness, high fever, sleep deprivation, stress use, substance use, and underlying conditions like aneurysm, brain tumors, cerebral hypoxia, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, severe concussion, degenerative disorders, eclampsia, electrolyte problems, and genetic conditions.

Symptoms

1. Symptoms of muscle spasm include muscle pain, muscle weakness, paralysis, numbness, coordination issues, difficulty in sleeping and vision issues.
2. Symptoms of seizure include seeing bright lights or distortions in how objects appear, hearing unexpected sounds, sudden unexpected tastes , or smells and strange feelings on the skin, strong emotions like fear or joy, déjá vu, sweating, making too much saliva, an upset stomach and pale skin.

Diagnosis

1. Muscle spasms can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood test, CT scan, and electromyography (EMG).
2. Seizures can be diagnosed through neurological examination, blood test, spinal tap, and imaging testing such as an electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI, CT scan, PET, or SPET scan.

Treatment

1. Treatment options for muscle spasms may include stretching the affected area, massaging the affected area, standing up and walking around, applying heat, taking over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and using prescribed muscle relaxants to ease the symptoms.
2. Treatment options for seizures may include taking antiseizure medications, managing underlying conditions, surgery, and brain stimulation (vagus nerve stimulation).

The following table summarizes the difference between muscle spasm and seizure.

Summary – Muscle Spasm vs Seizure

Muscle spasm and seizure are two related medical conditions. However, they are different conditions. Muscle spasms occurs when the muscle involuntarily and forcibly contracts suddenly and uncontrollably whereas seizure is a sudden surge of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This is the main difference between muscle spasm and seizure.

FAQ: Muscle Spasm and Seizure

1. What is the cause of muscle spasms?

• Muscle spasm is mainly due to muscular tension or overuse of muscles. They can also be caused by dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, high demand of blood flow, and underlying medical conditions such as atherosclerosis.

2. How to make a muscle spasm stop?

• A muscle spasm can be treated by stretching the affected area, massaging with the hands or a massage roller, standing up and walking around, applying heat or ice, taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and using prescribed muscle relaxants.

3. What vitamin gets rid of muscle spasms?

• Muscle cramps and spasms are often caused by overuse and vitamin deficiencies. Therefore, they can be prevented and alleviated by taking vitamins and minerals like B12, B1, potassium, and magnesium.

4. What is the cause of a seizure?

• Seizures can happen for many reasons, such as abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood, brain injury, brain infections like meningitis and encephalitis, brain tumor, electric shock, epilepsy, fever, heart disease, phenylketonuria, poisoning, street drugs, toxemia of pregnancy, very high blood pressure, venomous bites and stings, and withdrawal from alcohol or certain medicines after long use.

5. What is the best way to treat seizures?

• Anti-seizure medications are the most commonly used treatment for seizures. They help control seizures in around 7 out of 10 people. Other treatments include dietary therapy (taking a ketogenic diet) and surgeries like lobectomy, thermal ablation, multiple subpial transection, corpus callosotomy, hemispherectomy, and electrical stimulation.

Reference:

1. “Muscle Spasms and Cramps: What Causes Them?” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Seizures.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Credit:

1. “Person Feeling Pain in the Knee” (CC0) via Pexels

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