Involuntary muscle spasms are a regular experience of those who have experienced spinal cord injuries. These can result in interrupted sleep, discomfort and pain, along with possible injuries. This is without mentioning or taking into account the impact that this can have on the individual with regards to feeling self-conscious.
These occur as a result of our brain sending messages to our muscles via the motoneurons in the spine, which are then amplified so that the brain doesn’t need to expend as much effort. This process is very helpful when we need to have greater levels of output. However, this can become problematic in the case of spinal cord injuries where there isn’t the ability to affectively inhibit the motoneurons. Resulting in involuntary muscle spasms.
New research from the Edith Cowan University, published in the journal physiology, has found two possible treatments to reduce the level of “excitability” of our spinal cords. These two approaches are to place mild electrical stimulation via a pad to specific nerves which will inhibit the muscle spasms. The other method is to use relaxation strategies which can be taught in psychotherapy. This works as relaxation reduces the levels of serotonin and noradrenaline, with these having been linked to amplification of spams.
While this research is still quite new, it does give hope of new possible treatments to augment current pharmacological interventions. The next step in this intervention would be to develop treatment protocols, as well as conducting research regarding the long-term efficacy of these treatments. However, what this does give is hope and greater levels of autonomy for those trying to manage these challenges.