Muscle Twitching or Fasciculations information

Muscle Twitching Anxiety

2010-02-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Muscle Twitching

Most people experiencing fasciculations have high health-related anxiety since this symptoms are not often attributable to a particular disease and one can't find a particular cause of it. At this modern age, information is just one click away and what people tend to do when they experience muscle twitching is that they Google it right away and see that particular causes of it. The next thing that people would do is diagnose their self based on the other symptoms they are experiencing and relate it to the diseases and disorders that they have read. The last thing we know is that we would have sleepless nights, night sweats, panic attacks etc. all of which are due to severe anxiety.

One important thing we should remember is that medical experts are still the best people to conclude our conditions and laboratory tests and procedures are the best evidence to prove what we were otherwise thinking.

Anxiety must be properly dealt with and medications are necessary for those who have severe ones. Consult your doctor for the correct medication for anxiety. Remember that anxiety may be the cause or even aggravating the symptoms you are experiencing including muscle twitching.

Muscle Twitching Questions

2010-02-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, there are several people who have been curious and confused about muscle twitching, its causes and effects and had been asking many questions regarding it. Here are some of the frequently asked questions regarding muscle twitching:

1. What is muscle twitching?

Muscle twitching is the involuntary movement of small areas of muscles visible under the skin. It is also known as fasciculations. There is no pain experienced with muscle twitching and does not affect much a person's activities. It takes place when the muscle is at rest and goes away when the particular muscle is moved.

2. What are the major areas in the body where muscle twitching takes place?

Oftentimes, muscle twitching takes place around the eyelids, at the arms and legs although in can affect any part of the body depending on the patient's condition.

3. Are muscle twitching all over the body an indication of a disease?

Muscle twitching as a symptom is not indicative of a particular disease but several laboratory tests may be of help to determine the appropriate condition of the patient. There are several diseases related to muscle twitching all over the body (neuro diseases) but majority of the reported cases are benign after producing normal results from laboratory tests.

4. What is the cure for muscle twitching?

The cure for muscle twitching highly depends on the condition of the patient. Oftentimes, muscle twitches may be due to pressure and stress. If that is the case, then sufficient rest and relaxation may do the thing. Anxiety may also aggravate the intensity of muscle twitching so the best cure for muscle twitching is curing anxiety. The truth is, there is no drug that is known to cure muscle twitching.

5. Who is the perfect person who can help me?

If you are much concerned with your muscle twitching, the best one to approach is a medical professional specifically a neurologist who specializes in muscles and nerves. They may refer you to another doctor or specialist for cases involving severe anxiety.

There are still several questions that are asked regarding muscle twitching or fasciculations. More will be posted soon so please be updated. For your questions and suggestions feel free to comment.

Muscle Twitching Tests

2010-02-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

In order to determine to the main cause of your muscle twitching or fasciculation, your neurologist would suggest that you undergo a series of tests to summarized below:

1. Elecrolyte Imbalance

Loss of electrolytes in the blood can lead to muscle twitching. Electrolytes include magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium. If you have experienced LBM, lack of intake of these electrolytes or dehydration, then this could possibly be the cause of your fasciculations. A small amount of blood is taken through a syringe and results are available in a few hours.

2. EMG NCV

EMG means electromyography while NCV stands for nerve conduction velocity. This is a test of any nerve injuries that may have happened if the muscle twitching were caused by Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). EMG NCV would include testing your muscles in your arms and legs where muscle twitching may have occured by exerting pressure or force and a minimal (harmless) volt of electricity to determine if there have been changes in the timing of reaction of your nerves that would be indicative of a damage.

3. Physical Tests

These are just routine tests conducted by the doctor to determine if you have abnormalities in your muscle reflexes, muscle weaknesses etc.

4. Testing for Spinal and Brain Tests

Any injury in the brain or spine can also lead to fasciculations. CT scans may be done in order to detect this kind of problem but your neurologist may suggest other forms of examination. This would be done if you have gone so far and the cause is still to be known.

So far, these are the common examinations done to patients experiencing muscle twitching. If you have proved to be normal based on the tests you have undergone, then there is nothing to worry about as fasciculations can often be caused by pressure or stress or you may have Benign Faciculation Syndrome (BFS) which is harmless.

How to Deal with Muscle Twitching

2010-02-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

If you are experiencing muscle twitching, it is either you ignore it or you seek professional help. Choosing either way would often lead to the latter as ignoring it would tend to increase health related anxiety resulting to sleepless nights and even panic attacks. Muscle twitching often takes place in the arms, legs, some parts of the body and in muscles surrounding the eyes.

Doing a research on possible causes of muscle twitching or fasciculations can be a good thing at times but excessive readings related to this topic would only increase anxiety. The first thing that you must do to clarify everything is to consult your Neurologist. Fasciculations are very common symptoms or simply benign at all so do expect that there are several tests that you must undergo to pinpoint the main cause.

You must also address to your neurologist your anxiety so that the doctor can prescribe you medications. Anxiety can be a very big problem as it would often increase the occurrence of muscle twitching and even show other symptoms such as muscle spasms, muscle pain etc. The immune and digestive systems are also affected the most when you are experiencing anxiety.

Overall, muscle twitching or fasciculations are benign caused by pressure and stress. A few days of rest and relaxation may be the solution. If not, consult medical help to achieve peace of mind.

Muscle Twitching due to Benign Fasciculation Syndrome

2010-01-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) is a neurological disorder causing muscle twitching (fasciculation) of various voluntary muscles all over the body. Muscle twitching can happen in any muscle group but majority of the affected areas include the arms, legs, feet, and eye lids. Muscle twitches may happen occasionally or continuously daily at different intervals. Any intentional movement of the twitching muscles stops it immediately but may return when the muscles are at rest again.

Another common feature of the BFS, as observed by the doctors, is the high level of health related anxiety of the patients by fixating the disorder to a more severe illness such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Muscle Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's Disease, vCJD, Wilson's Disease and other serious neurological diseases. A good way to help ease the anxiety relating to this disorder is by discussing it in forums involving people who have suffered for a longer period in forums and other websites. (Check links below for muscle twitching discussion relation to Benign Fasciculation Syndrome - BFS)

Treatment for BFS does not involve the direct treatment of the muscle twitching through the use of drugs but would normally pursue lowering the level of anxiety the patient is experiencing. There are no drugs or treatments that have been found that completely control the twitching. The most effective way to reduced the symptoms is by reducing the overall daily stress through exercise, sleep, less work, meditations, and less caffeine intake.

Overall, BFS is not life-threatening, not disabling, but may be so if anxiety would not be treated effectively. Majority of the cases clear up in a few days, weeks or months or even years but there is nothing to be worried about.

Muscle twitching due to Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) forum.

Possible Causes of Muscle Twitching

2010-01-31T19:27:00.000-08:00

The most possible cause of muscle twitching may be benign and harmless. Many reported incidents of muscle twitching may be attributed to Benign Fasciculation Syndrome which may involve continuous muscle twitches in major parts of the body at rest.

Other causes of muscle twitches may include any of the following:

-Dehydration
-Fatigue
-Rabies
-Magnesium Deficiency (stress)
-Kennedy Disease
-Parkinsons Disease
-Werdnig-Hoffman Disease
-Lyme Disease
-Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (extremely rare)
-Lower motor Neuron Lesion
-Organophosphate Poisoning
-Isaacs Syndrome
-Myastenia Gravis.

We will further explain each one of these conditions further in the upcoming blog articles and their relation to muscle twitching or fasciculations.

What is Muscle Twitching?

2009-12-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

To better understand muscle twitching or otherwise known as fasciculations, it has been defined as "the involuntary contraction (twitching) of small areas of muscles that is served by a single motor nerve fiber or filament and is clearly visible under the skin due to spontaneous discharge skeletal muscle fibers". This can be experienced by any person who has undergone a lot of pressure and stress from time to time. It can occur at some parts of the body such as the arms, legs, muscles surrounding the eyes. Muscle twitching all over the body that can occur everyday may signify illnesses that would need medical attention. Several testing must be undergone to determine that appropriate cause of the twitching.

Fasciculations can have several causes but majority of the cases as reported by the people are benign and harmless. Other cases could also be related to a disease of the motor neurons. Muscle twitches are minor and often go unnoticed. Some are common and normal. Others are signs of a nervous system disorder.

For a more understanding of muscle twitching in action, you can watch a video embedded below.