Charley horse

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Charley horse

Symptoms:

When a muscle goes into spasm it feels very tight and is sometimes described as a knot. The pain can be severe and debilitating.

Signs and tests:

Muscle spasms are diagnosed by the presence of tight or hard muscles that are very tender to the touch. There are no imaging studies or blood tests that can diagnose this condition. If the spasm is caused by nerve irritation, such as in the back, an MRI may be helpful to determine the cause of the irritation.

Review Date: 8/8/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin B. Freedman, MD, MSCE, Sports Medicine, Orthopaedic Specialists, Bryn Mawr, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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