Medically reviewed by Katrina Carter, DPT Key Takeaways Voluntary muscles can be controlled by the person, like muscles in your neck and legs. Involuntary muscles work without you thinking about it, ...

Muscle contraction is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you do some activity. It can happen when you hold or pick up something, or when you stretch or exercise with weights.

The contractile responses of esophageal smooth muscle (SM) induced by platelet-activating factor (PAF) involve the activation of L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (L-type VDCCs), ...

A research group led by Dr. Keisuke Obara, Dr. Kento Yoshioka, and Professor Yoshio Tanaka from the Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, has ...

Muscle spasms are the sudden, intense and uncontrollable contraction of muscles. They're painful and frustrating, and can stop athletes in their tracks or jolt someone awake in the middle of the night ...

Leg twitching is a sudden contraction or release of a muscle. Leg twitching when trying to relax can sometimes be a sign of a health condition, such as restless leg syndrome. When signal misfires ...

Panel A shows the microscopic myoarchitecture of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the lower esophageal sphincter and stomach. The circular muscle fibers of the esophagus cross each other ...

Cancer patients often lose excessive amounts of weight. This affects up to 80% of patients and is mainly due to a decrease in muscle mass and fatty tissue. This cancer-induced cachexia (CIC) is ...

A research group has uncovered important details about how platelet-activating factor (PAF)—a powerful molecule involved in inflammation and allergic reactions—triggers contractions in the smooth ...