My TENS unit and moist heat (Thermaphore moist heating pad). Also, I use a Theracane to massage the spasms.

I've had those before, and my doctor told me it was a muscle spasm. Muscle relaxers work if you have them, otherwise I take Advil and use a heating pad and a massage bar to help loosen the muscles. Beyond that you just have to rest.

I know they really hurt. Muscle relaxers or a moist heating pad are your best bet. Hoping you heal quickly!

You might want to try keeping back muscles warm by wearing an extra layer-even a thin tee underneath what you are wearing may help trap more body heat and possibly avoid them. It's not about feeling cold, it's keeping the muscles as warm as possible.

I struggle with muscle spasms as well. My doctor told me that I should take magnesium each night. I've been taking that and it actually helps me fall asleep too! I also get back spasms less often since starting magnesium!

I have a heated throw blanket that I lay on to keep my muscles warm when I feel a spasm coming on. Muscle relaxers help me as well. I hope you find what works for you. Muscle spasms are painful!

Making it pass faster - stretching is the best thing I've found to get the spasm to release.

Preventing is better - which for me involves strengthening the muscle with exercise. Any time I have a spasm it's a weak muscle and the only real solution is strengthening.

For pain relief I rely on lidocaine patches for that kind of pain. The relief is almost instantaneous, and they work for hours.

I rely on heat, stretches, and preventive therapy---I do stretches and exercises. For me, muscle relaxants are only when the spasm won't stop for many days.

Maybe start noting what you're doing right before these hit? You might find a pattern. I'm kinda nuts about noting everything, but it has helped me find a lot of triggers.

Healing luck.

I would heed what LeoX3 says and keep an eye out on what you do when it happens.

As MadelinefFromNJ mentions, Theracane works wonders. You can also try using a tennis ball and use your body weight to apply the targeted pressure you need to really dig deep and massage those back muscles.

If it's lower back, you should consider the Muscle Wizard. It's $20 more than the Theracane, but I use mine all the time. Hands free, four knobs for a whole area, specifically designed for the back.

Just in time...these back spasms, which also wrapped around the shoulders in front, hit me last night, hard. Probably due to running at full speed to catch a train, huffing and puffing, and climbing up a small hill, and wrestling with a stuck train door. It all came crashing down and now I can feel all my muscles when I breathe. I will be trying all these suggestions--thanks!

I do magnesium called calm with a packet of emergency C every night I know when I miss as spasm are bad the next day. Plus some of other things posted, just no musmuscle relaxers for me as they relax that large muscle called a heart, yah guess I have one.....even on my charts. I do miss my flexeril for tough days.

laurab