Why Is My Arm Twitching!? An Inquiry.
Submitted by SerendipUpdate on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 1:07pm.
The first step in diagnosing this annoying and increasingly distressing affliction seems to be to determine what is actually twitching. It seems that only the muscle itself has the ability to actually move a part of the body, but of course muscles respond to nerve impulses. Could ligaments or tendons be malfunctioning and triggering these movements? It appears that this would not be the case, as ligaments merely connect bone to bone and tendons muscle to bone. They are made of soft collagenous tissue, and classification of these tissues are based on stiffness of the "crimp" of the tissue and its resistance to load under pressure (1). These characteristics do not seem to suggest the capability of autonomous movement. The same is the case for actual nerves. The action, therefore, must be in the muscle. Something, therefore, is triggering the irregular bonding and release of myosin heads to the actin filaments. This action is also, at a certain level, uncoordinated, because though the movement of the actual muscle is large, there is no visible translation to a bone, moving a limb. Perhaps the "power stroke" of the muscle is so short, and in a small enough section of the muscle that it overcomes the deformation curve of the tendon. However, the timescale of this phenomenon is far shorter than the muscular action I am experiencing. Perhaps the muscle in question serves another purpose. The two strongest possibilities for identity of the offending muscle, based on the line the spasms trace, are pronator teres or the flexor digitalum superficialis (2). There is little reason to suspect the second, as it is a deeper muscle, and much more of it would likely move if it were to misfire. The pronator teres appears exactly the proper size and shape. This muscle originates at the Medial epicondyle of the humerus and at the coronoid process of the ulna, and inserts at the middle of the lateral surface of the radius. In other words, at the very bottom of the humerus, a few inches down the ulna, and between them on the radius, respectively. The muscle pronates and flexes (rotates and bends) the forearm at the elbow. Though it appears that the bulk of forearm flexion is performed by the Brachialis, most pronation is done by the pronator teres, further confusing the question of why my arm remains still when the muscle twitches (3). The muscle is innervated by the median nerve, a common site of nerve compression and repetitive stress syndromes. There exists a pronator teres compression syndrome, but it is fairly rare and its symptoms include pain in the area, weakness in the hand, certain types of palsy in the fingers, and do not include twitching of the muscle (4). None of these apply to my situation.
A visit to a medical reference site querying "muscle twitch" yielded information I had assumed at the beginning of my inquiry. Barring neurological disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease and Muscular Dystrophy, causes of muscle twitching were simple: caffeine, excessive exercise, stress, a diet deficiency. The former three I was willing to rule out in my situation, but it is possible that there has been a deficiency in my diet. Returning to institutional food has greatly increased the proportion of meat in my diet, which had been significantly reduced during the summer, and it seemed particularly high in the past week. Further research suggested that spasms and cramps could be caused by a calcium deficiency resulting from high protein or phosphate intake. A deficiency in pantothenic acid (Vitamin B) were pointed to as a cause, but several prime sources of the vitamin were part of my diet in the period in question. A high Magnesium-to-Calcium ratio in the body was another cause. It is true that most recently, green vegetables and legumes, the major sources of magnesium, had not been in adequate proportions in my diet, but this would presumably result in, if anything, a low Mg/Ca ratio Consuming foods containing lactic acid was pointed to as a possible strategy (6). In the end, it was unclear exactly what could be done on a dietary level to correct this ratio, as consuming more of one mineral would block absorption of another in a complex web, and it would be impossible to be certain of the proportions in my body without knowing the proportions in the foods I ate, without having kept careful track of what I had eaten in the period in question.
Would there, then, be anything that could be done in the short term? It seems to stand to reason that the malfunction of myocin in the muscle would be triggered by the synapses of a nerve going haywire. Is there any way that the functioning of a cluster of nerve cells could be directly impacted? A relationship between electrical pathways in the body and acupuncture came to mind. Most charts of acupuncture meridians that I was able to find related the acupoints to organs, as opposed to specific muscles or limbs, which seemed like a dead end. This was interesting, however, as it was indicated that Eastern medicine traditionally conceived of disease as a collection of symptoms rather than a unified state of the body, which would suggest that their treatment strategies would target various body aches outside of the major organs in the trunk or head (8). Another article indicated that "The change of electric activity is part of signal transduction and can precede anatomical change," but that some electromagnetic patterns in the body mapped by a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) are consistent with the meridian system, but not necessarily "any major nerve, lymphatic, or blood vessel" (9). The author goes on to note that "An "annealing" mechanism may play a role in acupuncture and related techniques: Small perturbations at singular points elicit a "shock" to the system - activates and shakes the biological system out of its abnormal and unstable state. After activation, the system has a better chance to settle at a normal, more stable state." It seems likely that acupuncture could have an effect on my own particular malfunction, if it is in fact related to the electrical impulses in the muscle, but it seems that to find out exactly how would require the involvement of a specialist, or, as the web seems to indicate, the purchase of a book.
In the end, this particular spasm episode will likely soon come to an end, but a few questions still remain unanswered in my mind. First: if, for instance, the spasms were caused by a nutritional deficiency, why would that macro deficiency manifest itself in one section of the body for an extended period of time? Second: another article outlining the system of nerve impulses involved in a reflex reaction demonstrated the level of communication necessary to return a reflex impulse to its point of origin. What if my left pronator teres or its median nerve thought that it was receiving an impulses and was actually responding normally? If so, what could this false impulse have been caused by? Most of my confusion arises from the specificity in manifestation of a generalized explanation. What is so different about this particular assembly?
1) Notes for a U-Michigan biomechanics course
Biology 103
2005 Second Paper
On Serendip
Why Is My Arm Twitching!? An Inquiry.
Matthew Lowe
For several days now, and as I write this paper, a muscle in my left forearm has been twitching vigorously on a regular basis. It is not painful, but I am always able to feel it while it is happening. In general, an episode of spasms begins suddenly and with great rapidity; about ten contractions per second. It then usually slows to irregularly-spaced single spasms, with the occasional double-twitch. All individual spasms are very quick; the contraction and release taking a fraction of a second. The twitch is visible: it appears that a narrow section on the right side of the large anterior muscle (the one that lifts the wrist) is being pulled forward about a quarter-inch. The visibly affected area extends over the inner elbow and about four inches up the upper arm. I had originally attributed the twitch to caffeine or stress, as I find that my left eye twitches in a similar way during periods where I am forced to drink lots of coffee and skimp on sleep. However, for the past few days I have consumed no caffeine and gotten a reasonable amount of sleep. I got some light exercise, and was moderately nervous for a musical performance last night. One possible strain on my left arm was a pain in my wrist from probably straining too hard, playing guitar for a more extended period of time than I am accustomed. Extensive stretching, massage, and more aggressive tactics have done nothing to slow the spasms, indeed, direct pressure on the area will not even stop spasms as they are occurring.The first step in diagnosing this annoying and increasingly distressing affliction seems to be to determine what is actually twitching. It seems that only the muscle itself has the ability to actually move a part of the body, but of course muscles respond to nerve impulses. Could ligaments or tendons be malfunctioning and triggering these movements? It appears that this would not be the case, as ligaments merely connect bone to bone and tendons muscle to bone. They are made of soft collagenous tissue, and classification of these tissues are based on stiffness of the "crimp" of the tissue and its resistance to load under pressure (1). These characteristics do not seem to suggest the capability of autonomous movement. The same is the case for actual nerves. The action, therefore, must be in the muscle. Something, therefore, is triggering the irregular bonding and release of myosin heads to the actin filaments. This action is also, at a certain level, uncoordinated, because though the movement of the actual muscle is large, there is no visible translation to a bone, moving a limb. Perhaps the "power stroke" of the muscle is so short, and in a small enough section of the muscle that it overcomes the deformation curve of the tendon. However, the timescale of this phenomenon is far shorter than the muscular action I am experiencing. Perhaps the muscle in question serves another purpose. The two strongest possibilities for identity of the offending muscle, based on the line the spasms trace, are pronator teres or the flexor digitalum superficialis (2). There is little reason to suspect the second, as it is a deeper muscle, and much more of it would likely move if it were to misfire. The pronator teres appears exactly the proper size and shape. This muscle originates at the Medial epicondyle of the humerus and at the coronoid process of the ulna, and inserts at the middle of the lateral surface of the radius. In other words, at the very bottom of the humerus, a few inches down the ulna, and between them on the radius, respectively. The muscle pronates and flexes (rotates and bends) the forearm at the elbow. Though it appears that the bulk of forearm flexion is performed by the Brachialis, most pronation is done by the pronator teres, further confusing the question of why my arm remains still when the muscle twitches (3). The muscle is innervated by the median nerve, a common site of nerve compression and repetitive stress syndromes. There exists a pronator teres compression syndrome, but it is fairly rare and its symptoms include pain in the area, weakness in the hand, certain types of palsy in the fingers, and do not include twitching of the muscle (4). None of these apply to my situation.
A visit to a medical reference site querying "muscle twitch" yielded information I had assumed at the beginning of my inquiry. Barring neurological disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease and Muscular Dystrophy, causes of muscle twitching were simple: caffeine, excessive exercise, stress, a diet deficiency. The former three I was willing to rule out in my situation, but it is possible that there has been a deficiency in my diet. Returning to institutional food has greatly increased the proportion of meat in my diet, which had been significantly reduced during the summer, and it seemed particularly high in the past week. Further research suggested that spasms and cramps could be caused by a calcium deficiency resulting from high protein or phosphate intake. A deficiency in pantothenic acid (Vitamin B) were pointed to as a cause, but several prime sources of the vitamin were part of my diet in the period in question. A high Magnesium-to-Calcium ratio in the body was another cause. It is true that most recently, green vegetables and legumes, the major sources of magnesium, had not been in adequate proportions in my diet, but this would presumably result in, if anything, a low Mg/Ca ratio Consuming foods containing lactic acid was pointed to as a possible strategy (6). In the end, it was unclear exactly what could be done on a dietary level to correct this ratio, as consuming more of one mineral would block absorption of another in a complex web, and it would be impossible to be certain of the proportions in my body without knowing the proportions in the foods I ate, without having kept careful track of what I had eaten in the period in question.
Would there, then, be anything that could be done in the short term? It seems to stand to reason that the malfunction of myocin in the muscle would be triggered by the synapses of a nerve going haywire. Is there any way that the functioning of a cluster of nerve cells could be directly impacted? A relationship between electrical pathways in the body and acupuncture came to mind. Most charts of acupuncture meridians that I was able to find related the acupoints to organs, as opposed to specific muscles or limbs, which seemed like a dead end. This was interesting, however, as it was indicated that Eastern medicine traditionally conceived of disease as a collection of symptoms rather than a unified state of the body, which would suggest that their treatment strategies would target various body aches outside of the major organs in the trunk or head (8). Another article indicated that "The change of electric activity is part of signal transduction and can precede anatomical change," but that some electromagnetic patterns in the body mapped by a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) are consistent with the meridian system, but not necessarily "any major nerve, lymphatic, or blood vessel" (9). The author goes on to note that "An "annealing" mechanism may play a role in acupuncture and related techniques: Small perturbations at singular points elicit a "shock" to the system - activates and shakes the biological system out of its abnormal and unstable state. After activation, the system has a better chance to settle at a normal, more stable state." It seems likely that acupuncture could have an effect on my own particular malfunction, if it is in fact related to the electrical impulses in the muscle, but it seems that to find out exactly how would require the involvement of a specialist, or, as the web seems to indicate, the purchase of a book.
In the end, this particular spasm episode will likely soon come to an end, but a few questions still remain unanswered in my mind. First: if, for instance, the spasms were caused by a nutritional deficiency, why would that macro deficiency manifest itself in one section of the body for an extended period of time? Second: another article outlining the system of nerve impulses involved in a reflex reaction demonstrated the level of communication necessary to return a reflex impulse to its point of origin. What if my left pronator teres or its median nerve thought that it was receiving an impulses and was actually responding normally? If so, what could this false impulse have been caused by? Most of my confusion arises from the specificity in manifestation of a generalized explanation. What is so different about this particular assembly?
1) Notes for a U-Michigan biomechanics course
2)Contents of upper limb and back, drawings of macro anatomical assemblies
3)Upper Extremity Muscle Atlas
4)eMedicine, Hand and nerve compression syndrome overview
5)National Institutes of Health, NIH Reference Site
6)Acu-cell, Nutritional causes of muscle spasms and cramps
7)Acu-cell, nutritional mineral ratio primer
8)The Med-Com Resource, Acupuncture primer
9)The Meridian System and the Mechanism of Acupuncture, Article on acupuncture research
Comments made prior to 2007
i'd be very interested to know what your final
conclusion is. i've just had this same phenomenon start
approxiamately three days ago. as you said, it doesn't hurt...it
just makes me stop and take notice. i hope it's nothing. my
activities/habits have not changed one iota ... Scott, 6 September
2007
My arm has been twitching
My arm has been twitching recently too! It doesn't hurt at all but it gets pretty annoying after awhile. It won't do anything for about 3-5 hours, but then out of nowhere it will just start going again. Actually, this all began with my right arch twitching a few weeks ago. It stopped a few days later and then moved to my arm the week after. I don't think it's anything too serious. I figure I'm just tense and need to get a good massage.
When I started reading you're post I laughed so hard because it's exactly what I'm going through! Sorry I don't have any advice or information!!
twitching
Check the foods you are eating. Too many poor quality foods; meats, poultry, dairy and eggs ( especially) and some farm raised fish ( salmon) tend to set off an explosion of twitches. Even foods that are "said" to be organic can do this...this too is an indication that the foods you are ingesting are not well raised. Pesticides too, often can be the culprit to those annoying neurological twitches- almost like mimicking diseases of say- mad cow..M.S, etc. Corn fed or corn derived foods can do this as well. Keep an open mind. And try not to discount the idea that this information is simply "rubbage." BTW- poorly raised strawberries, lettuce and tomatoes will surely give you the twitches..
My arm twitching
my arm has also been twitching, my boyfriend and i cant find much about it. it just starts twitching out of the blue and gradually stops and it doesn't hurt
all i know is it is probebly a nerve of some sort.....
I cannot sleep at all
I cannot sleep at all because the part in my left arm between my shoulder and forearm will not stop twitching!!! I'm currently on my ipod looking up ways to stop the twitching because its almost 2 in the morning! I know no one is going to reply to me in the next 2 minutes but for future reference please help! I was smiling because the causes that you named are exactly my case! I regularly eat cereal (with milk) and recently we ran out of cereal so there is my calcium deficiency, after running out of cereal for breakfast I've been eating eggs. And actually this whole week eggs have been my snack! So that was hilariously accurate, and then after we ran out of eggs I just skipped breakfast. Also whenever my school runs out of salads I just don't eat. So now that we know why this annoying nusience is happening, and my mom went grocery shopping today, all that's left is: how do I make it stop so i can sleep?!?!
Same with me!
I have had a terrible time trying to sleep ALL WEEK because of my arm twitching! If anyone comes up with any solutions, let me know.
At least its not my lid this time!
This is happening to me right now! my left upper arm mucle is twitching. it does not hurt but its annoying. I think its because i have been run down lately and its coneected to my nerves, my eye lid usually twitches when im run down and it looks like im winking at people when i am not, lol so really im greatfull its just my arm this time.
Arm twitching
I have this too. I also have eylid twitching on rare occasions, and lip twitching (elvis style!). It was pointed out to me a long time ago that such things are related to stress.
Thinking about my life at the moment and that i am prone to feeling stressed now and then, I can concur with the diagnosis! Lack of sleep (caused by stress) and a shody diet do not help!
The most annoying thing for me, as someone has pointed out here already, is that it can occur at night time seriously affecting the one thing that you need to combat stress, sleep!
I had a bout last night, and find if I sleep on my arm it can help, although this is very uncomfortable. First thing this morning, after a very rough night it started again.
A better diet, more exercise, and relaxation is the most likely cure.
NOTE: I am not a doctor and have no medical training. The opinions here are my own and other information is gained from discussion with non-qualified people. If you are concerned about this or symtoms worsen you should contact your GP/MD.
SAME THING...LEFT ARM AND
SAME THING...LEFT ARM AND EYELID TWITCHING. DID YOU EVER GET A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS. GUILTY OF STRESS,BAD DIET, AND CAFFEINE.
PERPLEXED
Same, I also have a bad
Same, I also have a bad diet, loads of caffine and stress also it usually only happens when i'm at the computer for long periods of time but once it starts it lasts awhile, i think it has to do with repetition of keyboard strokes, mouse clicks or holding your arm in a certain position for extended periods. Just take a few day break from whatever repetitionous thing your doing it should go away.
My Arm
I tried drinking...you know alcohol...arm still twiches and I wake up with a bad hangeover...but I did finally pass out.
my right arm has been twitching since yesturday morning!!!! rrrg
My right arm has been twitching since yesturday morning! But today its worst!! It twitches at a certain place on my right arm and it does it so hard that my whole arm moves.It doesnt always do it at the same place but at the same area! its sooo annoying and i dont want it to still do it tomorrow rrrg... But i am very use to twitching because it's been prob 1 or 2 years that i've started with the twiching..at first its kinda cool when you feel it with your fingers and when you see it jump but then after a while its like "ok STOP!"
anyways...i love seeing that some other people twitch 2! haha
muscle twitching
I am glad to know that I am not alone out there. My muscles have been twitching and flipping out for a few years now. My arms, left and right, legs, calf and thighs, lip sometimes, just go haywire and twich for hours at a time. Right now, my left bicept has been twitching regularly for over a week. I wish I knew what was causing it or how to make it stop. It usually dosent keep me from sleeping but is it is truly anoying. I have talked to my doctors and they have no clue. In fact, they really dont take the thing very seriously at all and that is frustrating to me. Maybe we should start the National Twitchers Club and build our website for twitchers only. Maybe even get government grants to find a cure. A cure for the chronic twitcher. Is there even a medical term for this? All I know is that it drives me crazy and I wish it would just stop. Is this something I will jsut have to live with the rest of my life? Will it get worse over time? Has anyone ever thought about using anti-siezure medication? Ill check back on this page in a few and see if there is a response. Thanks
arm muscle twitching
Sorry to hear so many are having this problem. My left arm twitching started about 3 weeks ago and as others have said its not painful but keeps me from falling asleep. I saw my Dr today and he diagnosed it as a form of tennis elbow probably due to a repetitive action such as snow shoveling or playing my new short backpacking guitar or the vibrations from a snow-blower. He recommended a heat pad on the arm right before sleep to increase blood flow to aid healing. He saids that he had it also from cross country skiing on cheap skiis. He also said to use one of these neoprene elbow braces to help hold in the heat.. again to increase blood flow while exercising. Hope his advice works. He said to expect it to last up to 2 years. That how long it takes to heal these tears.
twitching in my left thumb(at the base)
keeps doing it off and on.Does it alot for hours then stops eventually for a while then starts up again.I have had other muscles do it before and it is annoyihng and doctors wont do nothing if it aint a disease.We should start a awareness for this and put out the word.
I know that when your eye
I know that when your eye twitches its a signifier of a potassium deficiency but other than that ive got nothing. Hope that helps some.
Eye Twitching
You might have an irritated nerve in your neck area. See a chiropractor if you wish to go that route.
Expert advice,
Hi there, I've been doing some research on this matter, and the problem is that your diet is unbalanced.
The only problem is, is that you need to find out what your having too much or too little of.
With me, I had NO fruit in my diet, absolutely NONE.
So I started eating some fruit and my arm still twitched.
I was thinking, " why hasn't it stopped!"
The point is is that this twiching shouldn't last longer than a week :D
Twitching
Many of the twitches in the arms can be related to nerves being irritated in the spinal area. The nerves controlling your arms and hands are in the C1-C8 (cervical) part of the spine around your neck area. Try icing your neck area to see if this relieves any of the twitching. Nerves are being irritated somewhere in your neck area. If one is accustom to a Chiropractor see him/her and question them. Another possibility is Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. On on the extreme side see your physician and question symptoms for MS or other neurological disorders.
right arm twitch
My right arm has been twitching for about 2 years now. Recently the left started.
Also some wasting muscle waste. Yesterday I had an appointment with a neuro-
specialist. Who then, after A invasive group of test. In 20 minutes concluded
That I had A.L.S...I was and am horrified....please get it looked at.
MANY CAUSES for twitching...
I have twitching off and on as well. Sometimes it goes away for years, but recently has been a problem again, mostly below the knees.
The medical term is called fasciculations, and the docs usually call them 'benign' fasciculations', even though they're annoying as hell.
They can be due to many different deficiencies: Vitamin D is a main one, b-12 is another, essential fatty acid imbalances, and then of course the usual suspects, calcium and/or magnesium and/or both.
Potassium deficiency is sometimes a cause of muscle twitching but if you've been under chronic stress for years -- your adrenal glands may be 'exhausted' or weak, and may have trouble regulating your electrolytes. There is a salivary test for adrenal function you can ask you doc for.
A good sign of this is if your potassium levels are high, but sodium is low, which is my case. So, taking calcium and magnesium MAY make the twitching worse, until the adrenals are stronger, but eating salty foods may actually help. Some people swear by dill pickles to stop these annoying twitches.
Also...low iron can cause these problems...but mainly it's an electrolyte issue, and could be weak adrenal function. And the best cure for that is...REST, and lowering your stress levels. Cutting out all caffeine (including sodas) helps a lot.
Hope this helps,
Dan
thanx everyone for your
thanx everyone for your advice. i have been going through minor twitching with my upper or lower eyelids, or legs, and one time, my cheek did it for a really long time. like it lifted itself up and then went back down. it gives me chill bumps to think of it cuz its so gross and annoying but it helps and goes away after eating pickles and bananas ( not toghether), but whenever you can. i guess the vitamins and whatever that is in them, helps with your nervous system to get it up and running again. hehe hope i save someone a good nite's rest:)
Exercise and Rest
As is everyone here, I've also been having muscle twitches, and for the last 6 months of so they've always been in my left hand, controlling either my forefinger, my little finger, or my thumb. It makes it even more annoying when my finger moves, and it freaks my friends out too!
Anyway, I've been having them for years, and in almost every place of my body: hand, quad, arm, eyelid, calf, back...and actually over the years what I've found is that it normally starts up after a combination of lots of exercise and lack of sleep. Like last night I went to bed at 4 am and the muscle controlling my index finger has not stopped. And yes, I bet it is due also to a lack of potassium and magnesium, but I tell you that my diet hasn't changed much so that's how I know it's because of exercise and lack of sleep.
So if you go to the gym and work out hard, then make sure you get more than enough sleep.
Exact same symptoms down to the location
I have had spasms in the same locations as yours the eye and arm, my left arm in the exact spot that was described, and my eye has been twitching as well. I too thought it must be caffeine or stress. This makes me wonder.
Exact same symptoms
It’s good to see so many accurate reports.
I have had the same thing from time to time (over years) never noticing it for more than a few hours at a time off and on for for a few days or so. Usually the same muscles for each group of episodes sometimes spreading or changing. Sometimes moving or rubbing or holding will help (not today!).
Are these particular muscles most susceptible? I used to get the eyelid a lot (always same eye - left side) Often right or left thigh (near knee), upper arm (right now -last night and today -driving me nuts.
I would say for me it is likely stress, maybe caffeine (i had been off for a while and had a little recently), i am very tired - not sleeping well i guess. Diet is not great, but fairly static.
twitching neck!!
i have twitching in my neck and its driving me crazy!
Its only a very slight twiching causing my head to move
a little bit.
I went to the doctors and they thought i had low calcium
levels so i had a blood test but they say its fine.
Im going to get a second opinion soon, hopefully they
know what it is!
Twitching arm!
At least I am not alone- this woke me up the other night....I do have carpal tunnel syndrome, and I usually wear braces on both hands at night when symptoms are bad...When I moved recently, I lost my left brace...but that wrist really hasn't bothered me, so I figured "No Big Deal", I'd just wear the right & I'd be fine...
We'll since I've been wearing the right only, my left upper arm, on the outside, right below the shoulder developed a twitch. It comes and goes, it doesn't hurt, but it is quite annoying. It is VERY visible...It was so bothersome, that it woke me from a dead sleep the other night. I was having a dream that someone was shaking me-and woke up w/ my arm twitching...lasted close to an hour...
It is twitching as I type...
I recently went on a diet, I added fruit BACK into my diet...cut down on the garbage & started w/ portion control. Stress is there, but no more than usual...caffiene intake is 2 cups a day...
Maybe my body is rejecting the fruit? By acting out in my arm? LOL
I guess it is associated w/ Carpal Tunnel as suggested above. I too, also have problems w/ my spine- herniated discs in C3 & C4... along w/ sciatica...
still twitching.... arrrghhh!
Glad I am not alone...that out there somewhere, all of you are twitching with me! Good luck to everyone-
same symptoms
yeah, all of this happens to me too... it usually starts after i do a workout or change my diet and i'm under a lot of stress. my grandpa died of ALS (lou gehrig's disease), so as soon as i found out muscle twitching was a symptom, i immediately thought that was what i had. even when my twitching went away, if i read an article about ALS i would get all stressed out and then i would start twitching again. ha, it's a vicious cycle! but yeah, i'm just a big hypochondriac. mine usually just goes away after a week at the most, sometimes just after a day. and the twitching has occurred on my back, my eyelid, near my knee, and on my bicep. i swim a mile and a half every day and probably don't eat enough... good luck everyone! i take some comfort in knowing that it's not something that just happens to me.
I have been twitching for
I have been twitching for about a year now it started when me and my boyfriend broke up last year. i figured it was just some stress from the break up but we are back together and i am still twitching. I twitch every single day and it is Very very annoying. It happens in my calf my thighs my legs, feet arms stomach and back. Also whenever i tap my palm it jumps. I would really like some help i dont want to live the rest of my life like this HELP
Twitching
Twitching can be from misaligned vertebre in the spine. A chiropractor might be able to help in such a situation.
I've had twitches here and there for my entire life (I'm 51) so I don't think it's a serious thing.
Why Is My Arm Twitching!?
I have been seeing my internist for muscle twitching in my upper left arm for the last few weeks. It is possible that the symptoms described by others for me at least, is being caused by my cholesteral lowering medication. It appears that this is a negative symptom of the drug. We are still trying to diagnose the problem. There is no pain and yes, it is quite annoying!
twitching in fore arm
I have had steady right fore arm twitching for about 3 weeks. It is maddening. I also have a "restless leg" feeling slight pins and needles in my arms occasionally. I am physically fit and get moderate exercise. I feel like I just worked out... not to exhaustion... but energetic with a heightened nerve sensation. Any ideas?
Twitching
Check out the info on Benign fasciculation syndrome. It involves twitching, pins and needles and anxiety usually about health related problems. This has similar symtoms of ALS, MS and a couple of other disorders. I too am twitching in my fingers, arm, leg, and have pins and needles and migrating numbness and terified it's something else, but this info helped ease my fears.
have MS, and twitching
i have a pretty benign relapsing-remitting MS since over 6 years. My only symptom till a few weeks back was some neuropathic pain in my feet. But for a while now, I am having the muscles in my forearm twitching, and since a couple of weeks, one of my eyelids twitches continually number of times a day.
My neurologist, who i met before the eye-twitch started, has scheduled me for a EMG test. I am hoping that it is just another of those strange and minor symptoms that MS-ers might report off and on...
Twitching
Twitching in my upper right arm started 8 days ago. Will twitch about once an hour for a few seconds, it drives my crazy! Of course, ALS was the first thing I thought of... my great friend was diagnosed with ALS several years ago... started with twitching in his right forearm.
Thanks to all who've posted that they have similiar problems and discovered it was a dietary/stress issue. I pray that mine is the same. If it doesn't subside, I will see a MD and discover what the twitching actually stems from... but of course, I am scared.
Please let me know how I can determine if this is a cal/mag issue or stress related issue as I surely don't know what to do. The twitching drives me crazy and I am under a lot of stress lately. I sure could use a true medical opinion. Thanks for your help.
you need to have a blood
you need to have a blood test done
twitching
Hi muscle twitchers
I think every single muscle in my body had twitched during last month.. My muscles started twitching on June 13, 2008. at that time I had a cold and Asthma(but I was not taking any medications). first, I felt very weak then the muscle twitch started. it is been a month now and I am still twitching. I saw my DR who referred me to a neurolgist. the neurologist told me the same thing you all know. he said it might be stress or defficency in some minerals but the blood test came normal plus I am not stressed. I tried everything to stop it but nothing helped. I reached a dead end but at that dead end I found all of you to support me and calm me down. I am so glad to know that i am not alone. you have a good night and funny twitches
A cure to twitching muscle-acupunture
HI, twitchers.
Recently i also experience the same thing in my left deltoid (a muscle at the center).
Why not try acupuncture? It may work for you as it work for me:)
Twitching too!!!
MAYBE IT'S THE RAIN.
This is hilarious! I am in my thirties and have been twitching since I was about 7 or 8. I never met anyone who suffered from the same thing other than unrelated stories I heard about twitching eyelids. I vaguely remember that being the starting point for my twitching. But it turned into so much more and Matthew described it to a tee. I have had every part of my body twitch at some point or another, and especially as a youth would find myself contorting, creating contraptions, beating, and talking to my twitching muscles for them to stop. And as many of you have noted, doctors don't seem to take this seriously.
It seems now that this twitching has taken on its own personality and has become its own person. There are not enough words to describe the things I have gone through with it. Finding out there are others out there is comforting. It may be comforting to you all to know that after so long it seems that either I am getting less annoyed, or they happen less frequently, or a little bit of both. I know I don't I get stressed over it as much, and maybe as a result they have lessened.
The funny thing is (and you may laugh) my mom used to say that her mom used to tell her that when your body twitches that it means it is going to rain. And for many years to some degree this seemed to hold true. Twitching for me seemed to trigger a day or so before it rained. I have heard that many animals have a way of knowing when rain is coming and physically predicting other events in nature. Maybe there is some truth in that. Anyways, as I type this my left elbow lightly quivers and I just have to say, hello my fellow twitchers, glad to know you are all out there with me.
TreV
no other cause
I've had my own odd twitches lately - the other day a muscle in my butt would NOT stop twitching for basically an entire day. THAT was annoying. Tonight a muscle in my neck is being special. I take a multivitamin, drink soymilk and milk, and eat plenty of fruit (although I could use more vegetables). I don't get a ton of exercise, but that's no change, and my stress level hasn't really changed. I only drink 1 can of caffeinated soda per day (just Coke zero). Oh, and I take an anti-seizure medication for bipolar II, so I can promise that that won't cure you. Basically, there really isn't a good answer for why I'm having the twitches.
I've read some comments about doctors not taking the issue seriously, but the truth is that a health care provider must be discerning when treating any condition. What if you went in to see the doctor with a minor cough, and the first thing he started investigating was cancer - by doing MRIs, biopsies, and so forth... when really you have asthma. Unless a life-threatening condition is blatantly obvious or at least heavily suspicious, clinicians will treat it conservatively - going all out on every issue would overwhelm our health care system, thus blocking care to those who are most in need.
Sure, if your twitches are incessant, associated with wasting, and/or significantly interfere with your daily functioning, then your doc will probably take it a little more seriously than a case like mine, where I have sporadic self-resolving twitching spells (lasting a few hours to a couple of days) in different locations. Yes, it's annoying. Sometimes mine even hurt. But I think everyone gets twitches just like everyone gets pimples.
can be a few things
pretty much everyone on here nailed the main reason why. I know for me,it my neck that is f**ked up, c-3 i think. but for me that is the main cause. becouase after it gets worse my vision will get really messed up, and i get sick and feel like dying. All thanks to my c-3 vertabra.!!! SO chances are it something like that. So if the twiching continues try a chiropractor as well as a doctor. Chiropractor wil cost less ( of course it depends on if you have a health insurance.) For example my arm has been twitching all day, I remember last night thinking that I was sleeping off and my neck is going to be messed up in the morning. Well its afternoon and my neck is messed up and arm twitching. As soon as I played around with my neck and poped thing back in place, it stopped! for now at least, Chiroprator here i come.
Hi my name is Ryan, and I am
Hi my name is Ryan, and I am a twitcher.
My shoulder/arm has been twitching for about 9 hrs straight now. Ive never had this before but it sure is interesting. I do alot of intense swimming and gym training every day which has alot of effect on the arms. For me its just above the triceps/shoulder muscle on the back of my right shoulder.
I can confirm that my diet over the last year and a half has been quiet poor, really lacking vegetables and basic fibre foods. I have also been working very late nights until 1am sometimes.
Im gonna take the obvious patterns of this forum and implement them.
1) Eat some vegetables once a day
2) Find a magnesium / calcium rich source of food, and vitamin suppliment
3) Go to bed earlier
4) I am going to do a very intense 3km swim at lunch time and kill it
Ive got a feeling that number 4 should cure it, but I'll let you know after lunch.
Verdict: Can be cured with 3km swim
Hi,
So, I was saying...I had this twitch in my arm / shoulder for the whole night. It lasted about 13 hours. The whole night until lunch time.
I hit the pool and did a very hard session which resulted in just under 3km in one hour. Verdict... No more twitching.
For instant twitch removal go and hurt yourself with excercise. For lasting twitch removal just add veggies to your diet. Common sense.
Interesting
Put me down as another one having these same twitching symptoms. I distinctly remember the first time it happened. I was sitting in a class in college and all of sudden my left arm in the tricep area spasmed like 4 or 5 times over the course of maybe 10 seconds. It was so weird but at the time I attributed it to my recent lack of exercise.
It's now about 8 years later and while I don't get that arm spasm very often anymore I have many very tiny twitches all over my body. It's been happening for years and seems to be mostly my legs. The level of activity comes and goes but definitely seems more active when I have been exercising regularly. Also at night it's either just more noticeable or actually more active. It's something I've learned to kind of block out but I want to see a doctor about it just to make sure it's nothing more serious.
I'm wondering if habitual use of caffeine over time could cause this. I have been a coffee drinker since about the age of 14, with brief periods where I drank none. Most of my life I have been a habitual user. I'm thinking about completely stopping now just to see if the twitching subsides but I expect it could take a long time to see results. The withdrawls from caffeine are horrible and could easily last two weeks, and I have read elsewhere that it can take up to 6 months for a "full recovery."
The weird thing is that yesterday I went the whole day without a sip of coffee because I had "decided" I was going to quit. So by mid afternoon a had a full on headache and was feeling tired most of the day. I ended up going to bed early because of the headache and just feeling crappy and I tossed and turned ALL NIGHT. It might have been my imagination but the twitching was more noticeable than ever. That really leads me to believe there is some connection with caffeine, but I have no way of knowing for sure. This morning I gave myself a small cup of coffee because I can't deal with the withdrawl symptoms right now. I resolve to kick the coffee habit sooner rather than later, though.
Whatever this is I'm pretty sure I did this to myself because as far as I know there is no family history of this sort of thing. I'm sort of a hypochondriac as well so I would like to have some of the more serious diseases ruled out.
Here's to hoping everyone is well!
READ DAN'S POST AGAIN...above
Everyone seems to be missing his post. He is correct -- it can be due to several different vitamin or mineral deficiencies: calcium, magnesium, potassium, SODIUM, (yes, you can actually be low in sodium if your adrenal glands are exhausted from too much STRESS), but also iron, manganese, vitamin e, essential fatty acids, etc..
AND VERY IMPORTANT: Your blood tests can come back as "normal", but you could still be low in calcium or magnesium (just to mention two).
Red blood cell magnesium is a very unreliable test -- it doesn't show if the magnesium is entering the cell.
And the calcium blood test is also almost completely worthless: if your blood calcium runs too low, calcium is pulled from the bones to help raise levels.
It's definitely not the result of a drug deficiency.
Hope this helps,
Kelly
Twitching in my right arm muscle
I have the same twitch in my right arm. Only started today.Comes and goes. I am 36 years old and I really dont understand what is going on. I am fit and eat well. It would be great to get some solid facts about this problem. I guess we really dont understand why, even doctors dont know alot about the human body.
If it was diet and sleep related why have I not experienced this before??
About 2 years ago I had blurred vision on in my right eye that made it impossible to see anything useful out of that eye. I got got used to it and my body adapted to this. So what I am saying is that I could see out of my eye but it was all distorted with snowflakes. I got used to this and I think my brain adjusted to this loss of 3d vision. I had to turn my head at roundabouts when driving.
It was very fustrating trying to read a book as everything was scrambelled.
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One night I was trying to read harry potter to my son and suddenly everything became clear in my vision. I swear there was a schreeching sound when this happened but who knows. I was screaming "I CAN SEE AGAIN" This was a very emotional moment for me and I cried tears of joy and sadness as I did not understand.
Now I cant explain what happened but all I know is that miracles happen.
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Why do I have problems with my right side of the body?. The vision right eye thing and now this twitching. The only thing I can pin it down to is FLOUROESENT LIGHTS and LCD SCREENS. That is the only change that has been present in the last 3 months that has been different in my lifestyle.
DON'T REALLY THINK THIS WILL HELP ANYBODY BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME ANSWERS SOON.
Right arm twitching
I too have the same to similar symptons of right arm twitches. It started three days ago. It isn't painful, but irritating. You can even see it twitch through my clothes.
I've had some LEFT arm injuries in the past, so my LEFT shoulder and blade are always in constant pain. Sometimes the weather intensifies the pain, sometimes it's brought about riding in the car too long, other times it just hurts for no reason. I've experienced pain, numbness and burning on my left arm, which extends to my lower left back, and front chest area. I'm in excrutiating pain as I am typing. BUT, now my right arm started to twitch. Could it be related? Who knows? Dr's say they think my left shoulder problems are due to nerve injuries in my neck. But can never do anything to alleviate the pain.
I don't know if my diet is deficient in anything...I do know I don't sleep nearly what I should be sleeping, bordering on insomnia. The only common denominator. I'm a little nervous, about the ALS/MS diagnoses. Should I be?
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