Muscle Spasm Frequency for Older People
The only animal associated with eating copious amounts of banana is a monkey, so can we assume that monkeys don’t get muscles cramps and spasms quite like humans do when they use their muscles? The reason that eating a banana or two is a good way to avoid muscles tightening on their own is because they are loaded with potassium, and plenty of potassium means less chance of muscles cramping or spasming. Bananas may be best for young people this way, but why do older people get more muscle spasms? Generic Lioresal is a medication that can counter that for seniors.
We have mentioned monkeys in our discussion of muscle spasms and older people here, so we’ll do the same thing for horses. If you’re wondering where it is we’re going with that now, it’s because one of the muscles that cramps and spasms more than others no matter how old you are is the calf muscle. Calf muscle spasms are called charley horses, and these common muscle spasms are often caused by poor blood flow. Which is something that is all too common in older people, as vascular health declines as we age.
That’s just the first of many factors that contribute to why do older people get more muscle spasms. And if you’ve ever had a spasm or cramp, you’ll likely relate to how they always seem to happen at the worst of times. Getting them while you sleep is all too common, and they can turn what would otherwise be a restful sleep into a next day where you’re tired from having to wake up in the middle in the night to deal with muscle distress.
Maybe not so problematic if you’re already retired, but fewer and fewer people are able to retire at 65 these days anyways. That’s not the point though, and what we’ll look at here in greater detail is why do older people get more muscle spasms and the additional reasons that this can be more of a problem for older people rather than younger ones.
Hydration, for Starters
Proper hydrations means muscles get the water they need, and older people may be prone to dehydration. Chronically low hydrations levels can mean that older people get muscle spasms in their legs or elsewhere, and another factor that goes alongside this one is mineral imbalances. The most notable minerals that may contribute to muscle spasms are magnesium and – you guessed it – potassium. Impaired digestion can mean older people don’t absorb nutrients in the way they should.
Might seem simplistic but drinking Gatorade can be a way to replenish electrolyte levels and make near-future muscle spasms or cramps less likely.
Diseases or ailments can also be a part of why do older people get more muscle spasms. Among them are hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Older adults with AUD (alcohol use disorder) may also get spasms and cramps more often, and same goes for people with atherosclerosis causing hardening of the arteries. Medication use can also be a cause of them, and some examples of them are Aricept and Zaroxolyn, but on the flip side of that there is increasing belief that medical marijuana can help people who get muscle spams or muscle cramps often for whatever reason.
Treatment Aids
We now know more about why do older people get more muscle spasms, and many of them will have doctors happy to write them a prescription for Lioresal or a similar muscle spasm treatment medication. One of the things patients can do to be proactive on their own while using any such med is to up their water intake, stretch before any type of vigorous exercise that is not participated in often, and then – last but not least – do not stay in positions (like being seated) that promote you getting cramps of having spasms for any long period of time.
Another worthwhile mention if for self-massage techniques, particularly if you get these spasms and cramps in your legs most often as it is not awkward for someone to massage their legs themselves. Nothing to do with why do older people get more muscle spasms, but here is how to massage your calf muscle effectively so that you are less likely to get them despite being ‘longer in the tooth’, as the expression goes.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
