Carla Tardi is a technical editor and digital content producer with 25+ years of experience at top-tier investment banks and money-management firms. Robert Kelly is managing director of XTS Energy LLC ...

Lower back spasms are involuntary contractions or tensing of the muscles in the lower back, and they may affect movement. Doctors may recommend medications, lifestyle changes, and complementary ...

Vaginismus makes vaginal penetration painful or impossible due to pelvic floor muscles involuntarily contracting. Primary vaginismus is lifelong, while secondary vaginismus develops after previously ...

Labor contractions can feel like intense cramps or pressure. Braxton-Hicks contractions do not follow a pattern and may stop with activity. Early labor contractions become more regular and stronger ...

a Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum Innenstadt, University of Munich, Munich, Germany, b Department of Internal Medicine, Park-Klinik Weissensee, Berlin, Germany Dr W A Voderholzer, Medizinische Klinik, ...

Clonus causes involuntary, rhythmic muscle contractions when a muscle is stretched. It is often observed in conditions like multiple sclerosis, stroke, and cerebral palsy. Clonus can be diagnosed by ...

Recessions — contractions in economic activity — start in the month after a peak in the business cycle, and end in the month of the trough.