Have you ever experienced anxiety attack muscle spasms? 

Anxiety can cause your muscles to tense up, and if this happens, it's essential to recognize the signs of muscle strain.

Anxiety is the boogeyman of your body.

It can cause all kinds of physical symptoms, from cramps to headaches to muscle tension.

Anxiety-related muscle pain and tension are pretty common.

You may be reading this because you've googled things like "anxiety-induced muscle spasms," "anxiety tightness in legs," anxiety attack muscle spasm, "anxiety sore muscles," or even just "muscle aches."

If so, hi. I'm sorry you're here but also glad you found this information useful!

This content will give you the rundown on what causes stress-related muscle pain, how it differs from other kinds of muscle pain, and what to do about it.

When an Anxiety Attack Begins, Your Breathing Might Change

When an anxiety attack begins, your breathing may change. 

Some people experience a dramatic increase in their respiration rate, while others find their breaths become shallower. 

Either way, you may find that control over your breathing is difficult or impossible.

It's important to note that this change in breathing can be a symptom of another condition or illness and does not necessarily indicate the presence of an anxiety disorder.

Your Heart Rate Will Speed Up

• Breathing faster and more shallowly
• Feeling tightness in the chest
• Tightening in the diaphragm (the muscle that helps you breathe)
• Increased heart rate
• An increase in blood pressure

Your Pulse Might Begin to Race

Your pulse may begin to race. Your heart rate might also increase.

Your breathing will become shallow, and you may lose control of your breathing altogether. Y

ou might start to hyperventilate or feel like you're not getting enough air. You may even begin to feel faint or dizzy.

You can regain control of your breathing by following this simple technique: 

Sit down in a quiet, safe place that doesn't have any triggers for your anxiety or panic attacks.

Place one hand on your chest, just above the diaphragm muscle at the bottom of your ribcage. 

Place the other hand on your stomach and below the diaphragm muscle, on the soft flesh between your navel and ribs.

Inhale slowly through the nostrils while gently pressing down on your stomach with the hand below the diaphragm muscle.

You should feel the air filling up your lungs as your belly begins to protrude outward slightly, similar to how a balloon would fill with air when you blow it up.

It is important to breathe deep into your abdomen rather than into the chest area.

Now exhale through pursed lips, which is like pouting but with very little effort. 

As you exhale, try to push any extra air out of your lungs using the hand placed above the diaphragm muscle.

If The Anxiety Attack Continues, Your Muscles Will Begin To Tighten

Your muscles may also become tight and tense. 

Muscle tension is a common anxiety symptom, and it can cause pain in your muscles and affect your posture. 

The good news is that there are ways to relieve muscle tension.

There's no set amount of time that an anxiety attack lasts.

They vary from person to person, depending on several factors.

Treatment options can help you manage each episode and lower the number of attacks you have over time.

If you have severe muscle tension or pain, talk with your doctor right away about treatment options for your symptoms.

Anxiety Can Cause Muscle Strain in Various Parts of Your Body

Muscles suffering from anxiety attack muscle spasms may feel tight or tender. 

You might notice soreness in your stomach or neck muscles. 

These areas are particularly susceptible to tension during an anxiety attack.

If you're experiencing any kind of muscle pain, speak with a physician, especially if the pain interferes with daily life and is severe.

If you are suffering from severe muscle strain, it may affect how you walk or sit. 

You might also notice a decrease in your ability to balance yourself when standing.

Feeling Off-Balance

When the muscles in your legs are straining, you may experience pain and tightness that can make walking difficult. 

You may find that when you try to stand up after sitting down for some time, the muscles in your legs feel stiff and less flexible.

While more intense muscle strain will cause pain and tightness, simple stress can also cause muscle spasms that make you feel off-balance or clumsy. 

This type of symptom is common in people who suffer from anxiety attacks frequently.

Feeling Dizzy

Some people attribute dizziness to anxiety attacks.

But it is normal to get lightheaded or clumsy when you are experiencing muscle spasms, so it can be hard to distinguish whether the symptom comes from anxiety or not.

What can make this even more confusing for many people who experience anxiety attack muscle spasms is that the symptoms are often very different from those experienced by the average person who suffers from an actual physical injury. 

For example, if you have ever been in an accident and had a broken bone or pulled muscle, then you know that these conditions cause severe pain and tightness in certain muscles.

But what happens if your body begins to suffer from anxiety? 

The symptoms might not be so obvious at first because you do not have an injury or physical problem that causes you to be in pain constantly throughout the day. 

Managing Anxiety Attack Muscle Spasm 

Painful muscle spasms don't necessarily need medical attention, but if they are causing constricting pain and you're unable to perform normal activities, you should seek a doctor's care so that he/she can identify what's causing the symptoms and offer remedies for them.

You don't need to see a doctor for every muscle spasm, but if you're having issues doing daily activities or you feel like the pain is getting worse, make sure that you get looked at by a doctor as soon as possible.

The best way to manage muscle spasms is to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Muscle spasms result from dehydration, and it's essential to keep your body hydrated so that your muscles don't cramp up. 

Try drinking at least eight glasses of water a day and staying away from alcohol because it causes dehydration.

It's important to know that muscle spasms don't always result from anxiety, but there are cases where people have experienced anxiety attack muscle spasms due to their anxiety.

Muscle tension commonly happens during a panic attack and it can lead to muscle strain which can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. 

Conclusion

Muscle spasms caused by anxiety can become painful enough to interfere with your daily life. 

Anxiety attack muscle spasms can be painful and tight.

They might make you clumsy, or feel off balance.

Severe muscle spasms can even make it difficult for you to do normal activities.

If your anxiety attack muscle spasms are this painful and interfere with your daily life, get medical attention.

Resources 

https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-twitching#:~:text=Dehydration%20can%20lead%20to%20mild,methods%20like%20progressive%20muscle%20relaxation.

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/signs/muscle-spasms

https://healthmatch.io/anxiety/muscle-twitches

https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-disorders/symptoms/muscle-twitching/