A muscle spasm, also known as a cramp, twitch or charley horse, is the sudden, involuntary forced contraction of a muscle. Here are the main causes.

A muscle spasm, also known as a cramp, twitch or charley horse, is the sudden, involuntary forced contraction of a muscle. Here are the main causes.

A charley horse is a painful muscle spasm typically associated with muscle overuse and dehydration. Here’s what you can do to treat and prevent one.

Muscle spasms are inconvenient, painful: Here's how to avoid them. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. More: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D.

With low amounts of GABA, a spasm can occur that makes the muscles very tense, she said. Such spasms can start in a particular muscle and then spread throughout the body.