spasm
Meaning of spasm: A spasm is a sudden, involuntary muscle contraction that can affect a single muscle, a group of muscles, or the wall of an organ.
Definition of spasm
A spasm is a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or a group of muscles. It can occur in skeletal muscle, producing a visible tightening often felt as a cramp, or in the smooth muscle that lines internal organs and blood vessels, where a spasm is not directly visible but can still affect how that organ or vessel functions.
A spasm can result from many different causes, including muscle overuse, dehydration, low levels of certain minerals, nerve irritation, or an underlying medical condition, and a spasm affecting smooth muscle can occur in structures such as the airways, blood vessels, or digestive tract.
Because a spasm can arise from such varied causes and affect either skeletal or smooth muscle, its significance depends heavily on which muscle is involved and how often it recurs, ranging from a brief, harmless cramp to a symptom of an underlying condition needing further evaluation.
Used in a sentence
The patient reported a muscle spasm in the calf after prolonged exercise.
Good to know
A spasm affecting smooth muscle, such as within a blood vessel or the airway, is not directly visible the way a skeletal muscle cramp is, though it can still produce noticeable symptoms depending on the structure involved.
Word origin
Where “spasm” comes from
Formed from Greek spasmos, from span, meaning to draw or pull, describing a sudden muscle contraction.