Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
Why Is My Arm Twitching!? An Inquiry.
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
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.
About Student Papers
| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio
A Random Walk
New Topics
-
1 week 3 days ago
-
1 week 6 days ago
-
1 week 6 days ago
-
2 weeks 12 hours ago
-
2 weeks 12 hours ago
Comments
Twitching Elbows
For the past few weeks now, both my elbows have been twitching. It almost feels like a bug moving in my skin. That's one way to describe it, lol. It only seems to happen when I have one of my arms bent. It doesn't happen when they're straight. I realize that it is just nerves. But is it that I am not eating right, bad sleeping habits, drinking too much, stressed out, or all of the above?? Maybe I didn't read enough posts, but I didn't see an answer to my problem. Why is it that no one seems to know what causes strange things like this? What do doctors do these days....just toss people medication and hope it fixes their problems? Don't they have any actual answers to anything?
I think you hit it right on
I think you hit it right on the nail. They should be embarrassed that they go through years of training and make us pay them a bundle all to run some tests. Any schmuck can order tests and read a piece of paper. They lack imagination which is what they need to make a diagnosis. No thought goes into coming up with a diagnosis, just whatever labX tells them
left arm twitchig
Exact same symptoms myself, did you find out anything new about it and the reasons? Do you still have these symptoms? I read before that a change in diet, particularly in warmer summer months might be a reason, this summer season I have been eating less green plant vegetables, and more protien based food such as eggs and pasta, stress has been up as well. Now want to know how to stop the twitching - I notice it more at night.
Same exact thing happens to
Same exact thing happens to me. Probably for most of us, these experiences are just bizarre but benign oddities. For me, at least, it's quite possible that if I'm stressed out enough about something so obsolete as a twitch, stress is then probably a root cause :). Additionally, there are a few innocuous twitch and tic "disorders" that by-and-large effect children only. It is very likely, however, that everyone experiences some type of a twitch during their lifetime.
This WebMD article is very helpful and will hopefully set the reader's mind at ease!
http://www.webmd.com/brain/tic-disorders-and_twitches?page=2
The cure for your muscle twich
I had a muscle twitch in my upper back for years, off and on; the last event was several months long.
I cured it.
Take magnesium supplements. It’s that simple.
I took potassium and calcium supplements along with a good multivitamin as well but it was gone mostly in one day, altogether gone in two.
It really works!
You all owe me.
Regards..
twitching
My name is Penny I was dx with M.S. in 07 ok now this is my problem, I have twitching as well, mine started long time ago then it subsided, but a week ago i needed to get an mri,
while i was in the machine i had an episode where my left arm felt like it was going to explode hurt so bad, they told me i hyperextend my muscle in my arm. so now for like 4 days now my muscle in my arm from forearm around to my elbow is spasming all the time , like it was said before it doesnt hurt just anoying. I mean M.S. affects your muscles so maybe these other people need to get a really good check up.dont let it go on for to long thanks, Penny
hi i twitch i dont know why
hi i twitch i dont know why this is my 2nd comment so im really young not even in my teens yet and i twitch i have never heard of a young person like me ever have twitching problems.please if u know anything about this post a comment quickly thx!
Hey, Just wanted to let you
Hey,
Just wanted to let you know that there's nothing to worry about! Loads of kids have twitches (or tics) and they usually grow out of them. Check out this article: it will explain everything!
http://www.webmd.com/brain/tic-disorders-and_twitches?page=2
-Another kid who twitches :)
I see a lot of people who
I see a lot of people who talk about having sleep problems in these posts, I too have had sleep problems for a long time, I started taking an over the counter sleep medication, and took it pretty much continuously for a month. Shortly after stopping, I started noticing my left tricept would start twitching at rest, this has now been going on for a few weeks. Doing some research on the internet I found Benign fasciculation syndrome. The interesting thing is that long term use of diphenhydramine, which is the main ingredient in many over the counter sleep medications, can result in Benign fasciculation syndrome. The twitching is not painful or severe, more just annoying and noticeable. Maybe this will help someone get some answers.
About 5 years ago my right
About 5 years ago my right arm used to go into a huge spasms just out of the blue and it would twitch as time went by the jerks and spasms got more powerful so powerful that they had knocked me out into seizures. went to the hospital for a MRI scan and they told me I had a cyst in my brain got it removed and I've been fine and healthy since. if anyone experinces anything like this I suggest they see a doctor right away for a MRI scan in case its a tumor or cyst.
Hi i am twitching in my eyes
Hi i am twitching in my eyes and i cant stop blinking. it sucks! i mean during school wat a disaster.
i twitch
hello sometimes i twitch in my eyes or my left bicep or humorus. i know it's weird but it happens at school too.i dont know what to do but just let it twitch.it went on for a few days and then stopped.researching,i found it would might be caused by caffine or stress. sometimes i have stress but that comes with school. dont know what to do so if anyone has info on this situation please post it.=]
non-stop rapid twiches, 24-7 in legs and lower back
I've been going through this for years, and there is no signs of stopping. I have made some improvement as I've kept my meds steady -when I was trying to get off of some meds, or when I skipped a day, the twitching, which is already at full speed, became 10000 times worse, with twitches then all over my body. I have several sleep disorders, and the sleep lab said that I had continuous movements in legs. My cardiologist said that I have abnormal electrical activity. So, for some of us, it is definitely neurological, and apparently caused by abnormal electrical activity. I also have gone through countless tests -no help whatsoever. I have gone through sleep deprivation (because of severe lack of sleep as well as constant sleep disturbances) -I'm way off the charts with this. So, perhaps physical stress through obscenely severe sleep deprivation? Also, going on meds made my consition eventually far, far worse. Epidural was the first med I had. Also, I do believe I am predisposed to developing a neurological disorder surrounding movement, as my shook for years (hands, eye lid, etc..), and I seemed to show signs of a somewhat weak nervous system (i.e. -shook easily during presentations, etc., severe thirst when anxious at times). My neurologist said I had hyper-autonomia (kind of a hyper disautonomia). But, I need more info. They said I have hyperexcitibility, hyperreflexia, hyperacquity, and now hyperautonomia). No surprise...my system is clearly in a hyper state, even when I feel relaxed. People, I am so glad I am not alone here. But, I am sorry you too have to go through this. I need more support, like this type of group formed here, don't you? Let's do go yahoo groups, and go to the tremor site.
Twitching
I too had Twitching in eye lids Legs and arms . It stopped when I removed all Caffeine in my diet. I changed to Decaff tea , Coffee and eliminated the odd can of coke I drank. Even decaff tea /coffee has small amounts of caffeine and I try not too drink too much in one go . Tea and coffee also have a diuretic effect and possibly may cause dehydration. I hope this will help .Good Luck
hyperautonomia
Hello. Sounds like I have the same exact symtoms as you. It will drive you nuts, for sure. Are you also hypersensitive to medications?
I have suffered from these
I have suffered from these very annoying tics for years and have seen many neurologists. They diagnose then as "benign fasiculations" and don't seem to take them seriously. If they only knew how annoying they are. I have a daughter and granchildren who suffer from these also. I have considered suicide, but wondered if these tics would continue after death. They are just that annoying. I can't sleep, they disturb my work. Can anyone out there help me. Valium seems the only thing that helps some, but doctors will not prescribe it and I am afraid of the terrible withdrawal symtoms even if I were to take them as I have in the past.
Myoclonic twitches is what
Myoclonic twitches is what you all are describing. They are caused by stress. They are benign. I was worried a few years back because I have epilepsy and was wondering if it was coming back and manifesting it in a different way.(I have the grandmal ones) The places that twitch like that for me are my left bicep, my right thumb and index finger, and various muscles on my back. I asked my neurologist and she said not to worry that it was benign, and that everyone gets them from time to time. Although it is a sign of various neurological diseases, for the most of you it is benign. For me I was able to figure out that they have a higher intensity of happening when I am stressed and have less sleep. Stress in both physical and mental. I had them happen a lot when I was doing some hard labor on a mountain 10 hours a day 4 days a week. Or in finals week in college. Now they still happen every day, but, not as intense and not as long.
Also, I hiccup a single hiccup randomly though out the week. This is also a mycolonic twitch.
Also, sometimes right before I go to sleep I have a spasm that wakes me up. Like I am falling or something, sometimes I will yell as I wake up. I looked this up as well, it is also benign and not related to epilepsy. It is called hypnic jerk, or sleep jerk (also some people say are a form of mycolonic twitch). It also happens to everyone. And happens when you are stressed or sleep deprived.
So, lesson of the story is try to be less stressed and get more sleep and the intensity of these occurring will be less. If you feel this is progressing to something more, there is medication for it, that should lessen the attacks, but, not necessarily get rid of them. I was on Phenobarbital at the time these started, I am finally off all medication, and I still get them as frequently as I did without them. But, I had been on that med since I was 4 (was about 27 when I finally got taken off of it) so, I may have been immune to the effects of the meds.
From reading some of your post I think I can say what most of you are describing is benign. Don't worry about it. I hope this helps calm your fears of what it is and what it isn't.
calves twitching
Both legs twitch when not being used or stetched in my calves. This started a year ago as i started working out for cardio.the more i pay attention to it the worst it gets, have done massage and accupunture with no help,.........plz. advise.
i have the same exact
i have the same exact problem. i have calf twitching - i can see the individual muscle fibers moving. i been to many doctors and they all say that its from working out. i notice it some days more then others. sometimes its really bad and at times i dont even notice it. im the type of person that needs to work out 5 days a week - i have yet to try stop working out to see if it stops.
Stress and not eating right
Well this is my first time having spasms in my life that last for more than a couple of seconds , I was going through a different work shift and that's when it started , I was working early in the morning then I went to night shift , then me and my girl broke up and then I went from eating almost 3 meals a day to maybe eating once a day out of a snack machine and as time passed of me stressing and not eating they have gotten worse and worse but without any pain , my point is I want everyone to stay positive about your situation , the good news is when I went over my mom's for Thanksgiving and ate a lot of food and stopped stressing they went away for 3 days , then I came back to my house and my ex made me start stressing again lol here there are again , I think it has a lot to do with starving yourself and going to stress especially when your young , the more sleep I get and the less stress I take in they go away for long periods of time , I even tried to make something twitch but it would not until I started stressing again ,
twiching.....
Look for BFS on the internet (Benign Fasciculation Syndrome)Hope it is helpfull!
wrist/ forearm muscle twitch
was good to read the suggestion of biking as a cause. leaning forward on the handlebars w/ bent wrist, is probably the cause for me too...
also possible long hours on the computer and left hand mouse use.
ancillary effects numbness and pins and needles in the hand and arm, especially at night (when else?)
twitches seem to be more rapid pulsating w/five six or seven twitches. can't control even by grasping muscle.
doctor suggested carpal tunnel... I thought that would cause hand problems... I don't understand the feedback thing.
am 74 and do about 15-20 miles of biking four days a week...
and :) more hours on computer than I''l admit to,
nuisance with the twitches...
good to read different posts, and find that most consider this an annoyance, but not life threatening.
good thread. thanks, all.
Left Arm Twinge Twitch Sensation
Have strange twinge/twitch that always comes in -seemingly- same spot on outer part of mid upper left arm. No pain and comes and goes and eventually will go away for long time (assuming past history is indicator). Don't know if is diet, medicine related or what. Haven't had problem for months but has been coming and going for at least a couple years. Am on kumiden(sp)/warfarin, pepcid/famotidine and atenonol which may be related it to as I have been running short on all of these past few days. Related to the warfarin I tested high out of range (3.9). Anybody have similar issues or have knowledge related to these specifics?
Thanks
i have made a possible discovery for the cause
Nerve damage to my back and left arm may be whats causing the twitch in the upper area of my left arm, i dont know if the same could be said for all of you but im sure that is whats wrong with me.
Left Arm Twinge Twich Sensation...
Yup, I have the same symptoms even right now as I am typing..I to have the exact same Twiching in my left arm on the outside/mid muscle.
I have noticed this onset over the last couple of days and last night I had a hard time sleeping because it was coming and going all night long.
Two things come to my mind, 1. I tend to lean on my left elbow while I'm on the computer, whether my left elbow is on the arm of my chair or leaning on the desk I have sensations in the elbow area that are slightly numb like that area is asleep..this is when the twiching is very active about every thirty seconds to a minute.
2. This I find very intereting..while at rest and the twiching was active, about every minute. I would have my left arm fore fingers on my neck to feel my pulse while I had my right arm fore fingers lightly feeling the twiching on my left arm..the twiching stopped (I was thinking eletrical rythyms..) but this is not the case. they are independent of each other as I relaxed more..the twiching became less active and I finally fell asleep..I felt ok most of the day with no twiching, until tonight! and it's very active again...! can anyone help? Its annoying when you can't sleep in any (left arm) position and your muscle twiches by itself!It's all you focus on when you are trying to relax to sleep...
Me too, kinda...
I've had this "twitching" thing too, but I've had it for years now. It occurs mainly around major muscle areas (upper arm, thighs, torso,) but even sometimes in my face (though its so small that its not visible even though I can feel it significantly). I was cat scanned for an unrelated (head injury) reason back in August 2008 and they said there was nothing wrong with me (I wonder if they'd see something if it isn't related to the injury in question, e.g. finding multiple sclerosis when scanning for a concussion).
It seems like I'm able to initiate the twitching sometimes by utilizing the muscle group. For instance, closing my eyes really tight can cause my eye lids to twitch on occasion. Also, stretching as one normally would may sometimes cause some twitching afterward in whatever area was most strenuously stretched. I only ever remember one instance when the twitching was very distracting and that was a day after a heavy night of drinking. That morning (and for the rest of the day), I experienced some intense twitching that didn't cease like it normally does. It freaked me out and I kinda drew a conclusion that the alcohol might have been a part of the unusual intensity and prolonged nature of this twitching. I've basically come to terms with the fact that SOMETHING is OFF within me, be it neurological or otherwise. I just wanna know what it is.
I'm not a hypochondriac, but I'm certain that either something is wrong with me or I'm DOING something wrong. Hmmm... Good luck to everyone, regardless.
Normal Face: -_- My face: -_-
Normal Face: -_-
My face: -_- ~_- -_- ~_- -_- ~_-
Who can relate?
My twitches seem to be teh
My twitches seem to be teh same as described here. The intensify with stress and if I can force my muscles to relax it abates somewhat but forced relaxing is only stop gap. I think we need to relax on a more permanent basis to stop the twitching.
Twitching because of dietary changes
I have been fasting for the month of Ramadaan, and it has been arrpoximately 25 days. I have not had much in my diet , except for rice at dinner. About three days ago, my upper right arm began to twitch and it has been doing so for every half an hour. Reading the past comments, I beleive this can highly possibly due to a change in dietary routine.
hii...salaami
i have same prb started between 20th ramadan...
but now i am feeling pain in hands
kinda pin and needles....
i am having toilet problems also....
u too have same problem or ur cured??
i am afraid of M.S & A.L.S !
i am in saudi arabia riyadh..here...this doctors cant understand
i am going to india now....i'll do check up there
neurologist!!
Hi I just wanted to let you
Hi I just wanted to let you know i know what your going through . I have m.s. and those symtoms sound so filmilar
i know u may not want to hear that but plz get checked by a neurologist thanks and good luck, Penny
17 years old and twitching
i've been experiencing similar things to some of you. at first i nearly freaked out. i'm so relieved to know that other people know what i'm going through. I've been twitching randomly for maybe a couple of months. i'm in college and always roaming about.my diet is shockingly bad. i've already undergone surgery for a birth defect (fibular hemimelia)and have had four operations in the last 18 months for that reason. mostly its in my thighs but has happened in many other places including my chest,stoumach,arms,hands and neck.It was brought to light by my thumb going crazy. i often notice that its worse on days when i'm stressed, lack excersize and don't eat properly. should i try magnesium and calcium supplements or maybe even overhauling my entire diet? should i seek medical attention?? please help if you know anything.
well... my muscles twitch
well... my muscles twitch also. this bout I am currently experiacing is on its 45th minute. That's how I ended up on this website. right now its my left forearm. It's always my arms or legs. I am fit. my ditet is okay. Hope its not onw of those diseases some of the comments say it might be. Intrestingly though, my twitches intensified after I started smoking ciggaretes. Maybe that has something to do with it?
Another reason why I should quit smoking.
I just turned 18... the last thing I want to know is that I will have this potentially dibilatating disease in the future... with that said, I simply must know what the cause is!
Neurological disease
Not to alarm any of you but there are diseases of the nervous system that also cause twitching and movements..Huntingtons disease is very rare but in my family. Try having eye twitching and thigh twitching for a couple years not knowing if you have this disease or not. There is a test but I have chose not to be tested unless I have extreme obvious signs..personal chose.
Ah, this is crazy - I'm 16 and I twitch all over!
I was beginning to freak out, but I see a lot of you people experience the same thing. I have been googling and searching all over the place. I all the other sites led me to believe I had some bad disease. But I ONLY experience twitching. Nothing else. Sometimes I have achey sides and stuff, but it's mainly just twitching.
But I mean, I don't twitch in one localized area, it's everywhere on me - arms, legs, feet, eyes, thighs, stomach muscles even! It just can start up there, it's not like it's continuous throughout the day, it'll just randomly show up in different parts of my body.
What I don't understand is that I eat healthy, and I'm fit! I'm even a ballet dancer. So what could just sporadically cause it? I've tricked myself into thinking I have some disease. Hehe...But, it doesn't really HURT, it's just this annoying twitching feel. And my feet sometimes feel like they're buzzing or something? But I can never put my finger on it. (No pun intended...haha) Like, I can never figure out what causes it, where it starts. Sometimes it's 1,2 or 3 twitches, then it's 10-15 twitches consecutively in one minute. It started almost 3 months ago, and it's pretty annoying. I notice that I seem to twitch more when I'm sitting down...!? Or if I hurt myself, or something freaks me out and it makes my heart beat - I sometimes feel twitching start up! It's like I have all these extra hearts beating, and it's annoying.
I'm wondering if it's a posture thing? Would going to a chiropractor or something, help? My mom (who is an RN and a nutritionist) acts like it can't be serious. I mean, I only just turned 16.
I just can't figure it out.
twitching
The buzzing you described is CHI. Not many people are aware of it, or feel it. It goes to.. or builds up.. where there is a block, tight muscle, injury.. etc. It often feels like a second heart beat.
Most of the twitching/spasms/pain I have experienced in my life I can fix with trigger point massage.
This arm twitch I have now I know is from referred pain/compression/muscle tightness near my shoulder blade; my arm doesn't hurt at all
I would suggest to everyone "The Trigger Point Workbook" - if you study this book enough, you can fix almost anything that goes wrong with your body in a few hours or days with a tennis ball in a sock - massaging yourself against a wall. You can search on shoulder trigger points and try it right now. The book is very comprehensive.
The muscle that is twitching may not be the one that is hurting - because of "referred pain".
a reply to your comment!!
i was a gymnast for 11 years..and im 17..
my muscles have been doing the same thing since i was 15..
and i eat pretty healthy as well..
its nothing serious..
its most likely since our bodies are used to physical activity that whenever we relax or sit, as you said, that our muscles get anxious..
no matter how much calcium or potassium i take..
my twitches never go away..
so i wouldnt worry about it..
it should go away as soon as our bodies stop growing..
Right bicep twitch
My right bicep has been twitching on and off for hours at a time for a few days now I had been exercising about twice a week for a few months and recently stopped altogether in the last couple of weeks but did do some weighlifting two days ago, which I felt sore from. However, the twitching started before the weighlifting. Also, I have significantly changed my diet in the past week, which makes me want to point to that as the culprit. However, the change in my diet consisted of an improvement in what kinds of foods I eat, which makes me wonder. For the past week I have been eating a healthy grain-rich, protein-rich diet and adding ground flaxseed to my cereal for essential fatty acids. I have also been including blueberries for their anti-oxidants. I have also been eating lots of salads, whole grain bread and taking vitamin supplements including specific vitamin E supplements, krill oil (for Omega 3's) gelcaps and have cut caffeine out of my diet. My confusion is that my diet is the healthiest it has ever been in my life and i've recently been taking great strides in reducing the level of stress in my work and personal life so why the twitch still? It has only been a few days so perhaps it's too soon to worry but one can't help but take notice of that kind of new strange autonomic muscle activity. I will attempt to restrict my protein intake and see if that has an effect. If I don't post anything new, then it probably worked.
Hi I have had the same
Hi I have had the same problem for years. I play sport at a fairly high level and noticed when I got injured and was unable to work out I suffered from prolonged twitching in my triceps mainly on the right side. After much investigation by myself the Physio and our conditioning trainer we found it was common place amount injured players unable to work out or during the start of the off season. The twitching is the muscle wasting away thus why this happens in periods of down time
My upper left arm is twitching too...
I am a 63 years old male. My upper left arm started twitching about three days ago. It is very annoying. I ride a bicycle about 13 miles, 3 or 4 times a week. My hands become numb and my wrists hurt from the (forward leaning) pressure on the handlebars. I suspect the twitching is from pinched nerves in my wrist. It could be aggravated by my terrible diet of sugar, caffeine, and other stuff that is bad for you. I don't want to give up the bicycling because it is great fun and good exercise. I will try to keep the pressure off my hands and wrists, if I can. I will try to improve my diet. Hopefully the twitching will go away over time. Getting old is no fun...
T_T feeling like donkey from shrek
look at my eye twitching. ~-~; well mostly its my arm, upper left between elbow and shoulder, exactly as described. Glad im not alone, seems I have to change my diet, I knowww i'm not getting enough exercise, but its been about 3 days now of the twitching, and it hasn't gone away like other times. So I'm taking a walk, booking an appt. to see my doctor =] and not eating delicious cake T___T i luv cake.
It may be diet, but those
It may be diet, but those who think it must be (and are loudly cajoling those who may eat meat, most people do and do not twitch) need to calm down. I just googled upper arm muscle twitch and ended up here. A muscle in my upper arm started visibly twitching about ten minutes ago and is getting less frequent and more erratic, but it is still there. It is not my heart beat, I checked my pulse, and I have concluded (reassured by the helpful original post) that is is some arm muscle. I am a vegan, eat organic when I can, do not have a nutrient deficiency (I make sure of it considering my diet), rarely drink and recently cut back on caffeine. I cut back on the caffeine because it was making my eyelid twitch. Last night I had four drinks and I think I may be dehydrated and tired, making the muscle angry. I tried some stretches, to no avail. So I am going to keep up the hydration and stay away from caffeine, booze and salt (they are all diuretics) and see if that fixes the problem (like it did with my eyelid).
Twitching
PEOPLE!
It's called TOXINS. It's in your food, environment etc. that's why people think it runs in families, cuz they eat the same things!
The fillings in their teeth, fluoride in the water and our toothpaste. Teflon on our pots and pans. And it goes on and on.
Educate yourself. There's tons of literature out there. It's a scientific fact that "dis-ease" can't grow in a body that is alkaline.
Stay off the sugar and fake-sugar, aspartame is sooo bad. It's a neuro-toxin.
Get off the white doughy stuff.
Eat better. Learn about what your body needs. People know more about their cars than they do about their physical bodies.
FYI: Medications made in a lab out of chemicals do not heal anybody! All they do is mask the problem. Temporary relief.
Everyone must take responsibility for their own health.
agreed.
Lay off the booze for longer. Withdraw causes twitches as well .
Not sure about the science behind your claims
"It's a scientific fact that "dis-ease" can't grow in a body that is alkaline."
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral2.html
Just to let you know
I was diagnosed with narcolepsy 5 years ago, the twitching similar to this occurs in my eyelids, forearm, bicep, sometimes my thighs and sides and it is not at all caused by diet. Though some twitching can be caused by dietary imbalances, usually with caffeine, or other stress or sleep related issues, it may also be a number of neurological disorders. I suggest, if you have the opportunity, get a sleep study, most American state governments provide health share or some sort of insurance for those who need it. If you take the test and it is clear, you have nothing to worry about, try altering your diet a bit. However if you are like me, and have narcolepsy, a lot will change, I get disability, but I am also a student, I cannot drive, I am treated on medications but I feel so much better. For years I struggled with EDS or Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, and other side effects of my disorder like Catalepsy which made me fall at random times and it was very disheartening, I even dropped out of high school because of it. Do not let this rule your life, find out for sure and consult a doctor.
To 23waterlily
If its in our food, environment, what can one eat or do to better their selves. Because as I am sure you are aware probably half of the grocery store contains sugar, aspartame and what not, what do you do to help with dieting and controlling the bad toxins? If its just staying on a vegetable and fruit diet, that's hard for many.
Okay first of all your
Okay first of all your wrong. I'm sure you have no way of proving this. its probably having to do with mal nutrition or over exertion of muscles. Sense it a muscle, and its contracting on its own, means that it has to do with the nervous system. The nervous system uses CHEMICALS to operate.. so if you haven't been eating what it uses then there is your problem.
Second, medications do heal especially when your dealing with chemicals in the brain. You must be pretty dense to think that you can't do good with chemicals. Chemistry plays a big role in human health.
and your remarks about toxins found in everyday life are well known. If people didn't know these they must be living in a hole.
your "scientific fact" is wrong, here is some evidence...
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral2.html
Uhhmm...
Most of the time medications are indeed made to pretty much cover up the problem. You can take herpes meds but do they cure herpes? No. What about arthritis, and high blood pressure? I'm not saying you're wrong but you're not exactly right.
Unless you are a PHD who has
Unless you are a PHD who has completed clinical studies on the subject, I don't think you should be telling anyone they anyone they are wrong. If a chemical like aspartame and MSG can cause lesions on the brain would it not be plausible that they COULD interfere with the nervous system and cause twitching?
And actually from the research that I have done there is some legitimacy in the alkaline diet theory. The link you posted is likely bunk.
From my experience conversing with people, few are aware of all of the toxins we encounter on a daily basis. I even read today that some shampoo even contains harmful agents that can be linked to cancer.