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Whether you’re an incomplete or a complete, spasms are a fact of life, and the options available for quelling those pesky muscle movements are slim. We’ve uncovered three videos profiling how two quadriplegics and a paraplegic deal with their own spasms, and you might just learn a thing or two. Check them out below.
Video #1: Leeean, and Stretch
There are times, well all of the time really, when you have no choice but to just deal with spasms. And Chris Colwell, a C5-6 quadriplegic from Florida, has figured out exactly how to safely deal with his spasms. It’s all about leaning forward into your abdomen; having good balance is required too.
You even get to see a pretty spray-painted wall in his home, which is well worth-watching for the video itself. An excellent cook, artist and worldwide traveler, Chris may have lost the ability to walk in a skydiving accident, but you got to love his attitude, which you can see clearly in this video.
Watch: Leg Spasms Front View
Video #2: Dave Demos a Spasm, and Adds an Apology
Dave Gingrass, a paraplegic from Oklahoma, is one feisty guy and we love it. Here he shows just how annoying leg spasms can be, which he demonstrates by flicking his thigh muscles to activate the spasm (which totally works by the way), and then his legs start shaking and go to town. I’m sure many of you out there are familiar with this scenario.
It’s very inconvenient, as Dave relates. One of the worst things about his spasms – how they almost throw from him of his chair, which he shows. At the end of the video he throws in an apology to his school advisor, which is a strange little addition to his video, but hey – that’s Dave.
Watch: Spasms & Anxiety
Video #3: Gettin’ Real About Arm Spasms
Aaron Wood, a C2 level quadriplegic, gives us some insight into the world of arm spasms, and let’s put it this way, it’s not easy.
He talks about Baclofen of course, the go-to medicine for muscle spasms, but it doesn’t work really work for him anymore, and his doctor now thinks it might be a cyst-filled sac on his spinal cord – something that can occur when you have a spinal cord injury after a number of years and causes spasms.
And he shares how his arms will fall off the armrests when they spasm, which as a C2 quadriplegic leaves him in a bit of a rut, and needing someone to help him when his arms back in place. Definitely not a cool thing.
Watch: Quadriplegic spasms
Spasms can happen to every level of injury. It’s all about how you deal with them mentally at the end of the day. It’s not easy putting on a brave face when faced with involuntary muscle movement, but we think these three guys do it incredibly well.
How do you deal with your spasms? Please share below
Watch the videos!
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