Sudden, involuntary contractions of muscles that happen quickly and can be painful or uncomfortable.
From Greek 'spasmos' meaning 'a pulling or convulsion,' derived from 'span' meaning 'to pull.' The word entered English through medical terminology in the 16th century to describe uncontrolled muscle movements.
Your body has both voluntary muscles (you decide when to use them) and involuntary ones (like your heart), and spasms happen when your nervous system misfires and tells muscles to contract without your permission—it's like your body's wires getting crossed.
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