Celine Dion had an emotional message for her fans on Friday. The 54-year-old singer regretfully announced in an Instagram video that she would have to cancel and postpone some of her upcoming European tour dates due to her ongoing health issues.
While Dion assured fans that she’s “doing a little bit better,” she said that she’s “still experiencing some spasms,” and that her recovery is taking longer than expected.
What are muscle spasms (muscle cramps)?
Otherwise known as muscle cramps, spasms occur when your muscle involuntary and forcibly contracts uncontrollably and can’t relax. These are very common and can affect any of your muscles. They can involve part or all of a muscle, or several muscles in a group. The most common sites for muscle spasms are the thighs, calves, feet, hands, arms and abdomen. When occurring in the calves, especially, such cramps are known as “charley horses.” A leg cramp that happens at night when you’re at rest or asleep is called a “nocturnal leg cramp.”
What do muscle spasms (muscle cramps) feel like?
Muscle spasms range in intensity from mild, uncomfortable twitches to significant discomfort to intense, severe pain. The spastic muscle may feel harder than normal to the touch and/or appear visibly distorted. It may twitch. Spasms typically last from seconds to 15 minutes or longer, and may recur multiple times before going away.
What causes muscle spasms (muscle cramps)?
“Idiopathic” means that the exact cause is unknown, and that’s the case with muscle spasms. Some experts believe that one of more of the following may be to blame in most cases:
- Not enough stretching.
- Muscle fatigue.
- Exercising in the heat.
- Dehydration.
- Depletion of electrolytes (salts and minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium in your body).
- Involuntary nerve discharges.
- Restriction in the blood supply.
- Stress.
- Too much high-intensity exercise.
Possible causes for nocturnal leg cramps (leg cramps at night), specifically, include:
- Sitting for long periods of time.
- Overusing the muscles.
- Standing or working on concrete floors.
- Sitting improperly.
