Photo: Nick Anderson of Greenville, N.C., left, his father Rick Anderson and stepbrother Jeramie Mullis pose with the 143-pound blue catfish caught Saturday in Virginia in Buggs Island Lake, also known as the Kerr Reservoir. The previous world record was a 130-pounder caught in the Missouri River last year.
A muscle cramp is a strong, painful contraction or tightening of a muscle that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. It often occurs in the legs. A muscle cramp is also called a charley horse. Nighttime leg cramps are usually sudden spasms, or tightening, of muscles in the calf.
Lower Back Spasm Causes. There are many reasons why muscle spasm may occur. Back injury is a very common factor, since inflammation and neurological trauma are both sources of severe muscular contractions. Usually, back muscle spasms due to injury will subside in a few hours to a few days. It is rare for spasms to last for weeks or months due to physical injury. Poor circulation to any area of the back is the most common source of spasm. This can occur due to structural concerns, such as vascular disease or inflammation, but typically is linked to a psychosomatic back pain syndrome using oxygen deprivation as the enforcer of a subconsciously devised distractive mechanism.