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Muscle twitching - muscle twitching
contents
definition
symptoms
causes
Tick
epilepsies
Diseases of the nervous system
Vegetative dystonia
Other causes of muscle twitching
diagnosis
treatment
Naturopathy
definition
Muscle twitching in the broadest sense is understood to mean all involuntary contractions of individual muscle fibers, muscle bundles, muscles as well as the simultaneous contraction of numerous muscle groups, such as in the context of an epileptic seizure. The different forms are differentiated in so-called fibrillations (twitching of individual muscle fibers, without movement effect), fasciculations (twitching of individual muscle bundles, noticeable but without significant movement effect), myoclonus (twitching of the muscle, with or without movement) and tremor (twitching of several muscle groups with regular tremors as a movement effect). The so-called myocardia, in which a wave of contraction through individual muscles, without triggering a movement, can be assigned to the muscle twitches.
symptoms
Depending on the extent of muscle twitching, the symptoms may vary considerably. While, for example, fibrillations can only be detected with the aid of special examination methods, a tremor can often be easily recognized by the noticeable trembling of individual parts of the body even for medical laymen. The fasciculation often manifests itself in a twitching of individual muscle bundles in the facial area, such as twitching of the eyelid. The myoclonus usually appear as twitching of several muscles and are often accompanied by a significant movement effect. They can be observed, for example, in epilepsy, but also at a tick. A tremor is caused by the increased involuntary rhythmic contraction of different muscle groups and their opponents, but also here are significant differences between the various tremor forms to observe. For example, a distinction is made between the resting tremor and the action tremor, depending on the circumstances under which the symptoms mainly occur. The extent of muscle twitching and possible concomitant symptoms often provide important clues as to the cause of the condition. Therefore, in connection with the description of the causes of muscle twitching, a more detailed explanation of the respective symptoms will follow.
causes
First, a distinction must be made between the pathological forms of muscle twitching and the rather harmless muscle twitches, such as the so-called benign fasciculation. While the former are an expression of a disease, the latter are often thought to be related to psychological factors such as increased stress. Muscle twitches without underlying disease are unpleasant for those affected, but harmless from a health point of view.
Tick
One of the best known forms of muscle twitching is the so-called tick, in which the contraction of individual muscles or muscle groups leads to involuntary movements such as blinking the eyes, raising the eyebrows or even more complex movements. The cause of a tick is suspected to be malfunctioning of the nervous system or especially in disorders of the basal ganglia, which is why the symptoms of the so-called extra pyramidal hyperkinesia (movement disorders that do not arise in the pyramidal system) are assigned. In rare cases, however, also develop patients who suffer from inflammation of the brain, a tick. In addition, a connection with the so-called striatofrontal dysfunction is discussed, which describes a disturbance of the control loop in the frontal brain and striatum. As a rule, the tick is not associated with further health threats. More pronounced forms of a tick, which in addition to the involuntary movements may also be accompanied by involuntary vocalizations (for example in the context of Tourette's syndrome), are usually a considerable burden for those affected in everyday life, which can bring about further psychological complaints.
In an epileptic seizure, the muscles in the entire body suddenly start to twitch uncontrollably and cramp. (Image: Henrie / fotolia.com) epilepsies
Uncontrolled seizure-like muscle twitching is one of the leading symptoms in the various forms of epilepsy. Muscles begin to cramp suddenly due to previously unknown causes. There is a veritable fireworks of neuron discharges in the brain of those affected, which leads to false signals to the muscles. What causes the disturbances in the brain, remains - despite significant research successes in recent years - until today largely unclear. It is certain that special neurotransmitters play an essential role here. But under what circumstances an epilepsy develops from single seizures, remains uncertain. Genetic disposition, however, seems to be important in all epileptics. Among the possible causes of so-called symptomatic epilepsy include, for example, congenital damage to the brain, abnormalities of the brain tissue or brain tumors. For example, if a patient suffers from severe craniocerebral trauma in an accident, it may also lead to the development of symptomatic epilepsy. Inflammations of the brain, such as those caused by viral (eg measles, FSME, hepatitis C) or bacterial (eg Lyme disease, meningococcal) infectious diseases, may also be associated with epileptic seizures. In addition, pathological changes in the blood vessels in the brain, such as occur in the context of arteriosclerosis, should be considered as a possible cause of symptomatic epilepsy.
Occasional seizures, which are accompanied by marked muscle twitching, but in the narrower sense not epilepsy, can be caused for example by high fever, massive hypoglycaemia in diabetes or by the abuse of drugs, drugs and alcohol. In alcohol, both acute alcohol poisoning and withdrawal after long-term use are sometimes accompanied by epileptic fits. Another cause of occasional seizures are shifts in the mineral content in the organism. If, for example, the potassium levels in the blood rise sharply (hyperkalaemia) or, in the context of hyperparathyroidism (dysfunction of the parathyroid glands with increased hormone release), the calcium concentration in the blood increases, muscle twitching and seizures are a possible consequence. In people with pronounced photosensitivity occasional epileptic seizures are also triggered by extremely bright light pulses or the rapidly changing light-dark contrast (for example, flash in the camera or stroboscope in discotheques).
The intensity and duration of the epileptic seizure can vary significantly according to the various causes, ranging from localized seizures without any impairment of consciousness, to severe convulsions of the whole body, with temporary loss of consciousness and unwanted discharge of urine and stool. After a few minutes, the acute attack is usually over, in severe cases, however, this can last significantly longer than 20 minutes. In the course of seizure, patients often suffer secondary injuries from sudden uncontrolled fall to the floor and / or extreme muscular tension. Also threatened damage to the brain by the massively increased concentration of neurotransmitters.
Diseases of the nervous system
The most well-known neurological disease, which is accompanied by muscle twitching and consequent tremors (tremor), is Parkinson's disease. Damage to the extrapyramidal motor nervous system causes symptoms such as general slowing of movement (bradykinesis), stiffness of the muscles (rigor), changes in posture and abnormal tremor. In the course of the disease, the complaints become more severe and it can be added to other ailments such as muscle and joint pain or so-called abnormal sensations (numbness, tingling in the limbs). Even in the early stages of the disease many sufferers show an impairment of the sense of smell. Bladder dysfunction and indigestion are other commonly observed concomitants in Parkinson's disease. There are also various physical complaints, depending on the individual disease process. In addition to the physical impairments Parkinson's patients often suffer from various mental health problems, such as a general listlessness, a slowing of thought processes and limitations of cognitive skills to dementia.
Another neurological disorder that can lead to muscle twitching is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the cause of which remains largely unclear to this day. In the course of this luckily extremely rare illness the nerve cells, which serve to control the muscle movement, become increasingly irreversibly damaged. Impairment of the musculature can be dependent on the affected nerve cells, muscle weaknesses up to muscle wasting or also increased tension of the muscle up to the spasticity. Frequently the affected persons show concomitant symptoms such as swallowing problems, speech problems and an unsteady gait. In the further course, paralysis of the musculature also leads to impaired respiratory function. Those affected have no hope for a cure and usually have only a few years to live after the diagnosis.
As a disease of the central nervous system, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease can cause muscle twitching to epileptic seizures. So-called pathological prions lead to pathological changes in the tissue structures in the brain and subsequent death of the nerve cells. The disease has become known in the course of the BSE scandal, which overtook Great Britain in the 1980s and 1990s as well as Germany. In cattle, the prions had triggered the so-called mad cow disease and it quickly came to the conclusion that a newer variant of the transmissible Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease could be related to the consumption of BSE-contaminated beef. In general, three different variants of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease are distinguished: Sporadic Prion Disease, Genetic Prion Disease, and the Transmissible Creutzfeldt-Jakob Variant. Both the sporadic and the transmissible variant of the disease usually lead to the death of the patient within a few months. In the case of the genetically determined variant, the course of the disease can extend over a significantly longer period of time after onset (usually several years)..
In the early stages of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, sufferers often suffer first from mental health problems such as anxiety and panic attacks, mood swings or even depression. Even delusions may occur in the course of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Over time, sufferers become increasingly limited in their cognitive and motor skills. Memory disorders are one of the typical mental impairments and muscle twitching is considered a characteristic of motor disorder. The eyesight of those affected is also often affected. Later in the transmissible variant, many sufferers also suffer from painful dizziness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The extent of the motor impairments usually increases continuously and the muscle twitching often increases in the further course to regular epileptic seizures. Due to the malfunction of the muscles, many sufferers also suffer from severe body aches. In the course of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the brain is increasingly destroyed and appears in the final stage sponge-like perforated. At this stage, those affected are no longer able to communicate with their fellow human beings and are often completely unable to move.
Vegetative dystonia
Disorders of the autonomic nervous system in the form of so-called vegetative dystonia are also associated with muscle twitches. The interaction between the sympathetic and parasympathetic and the information processing in the diencephalon is affected in the affected person, which in addition to the muscle twitch can lead to many different ailments such as heart problems in the form of heart stuttering, palpitations, heart pain and tightness of the chest or even shortness of breath, headache and dizziness , Stomach problems - especially indigestion, gastric pressure and stomach aches or abdominal pain - are also considered as possible symptoms of Vegetative Dystonia. Furthermore, those affected often suffer from the feeling of inner restlessness, they are easily irritable and often nervous. Sometimes there is a general listlessness and the increased occurrence of panic attacks or existential anxiety. In the case of vegetative dystonia, the symptoms are still relatively unclear, which makes it difficult to make a clear diagnosis and has often given rise to criticism in specialist circles. An organic cause of the symptoms can not be determined in the vegetative dystonia and serious health impairments are not expected in the rule.
Other causes of muscle twitching
In addition to the causes of muscle twitching already mentioned, numerous other factors may be the cause of the symptoms. For example, high fever can cause involuntary muscle contractions in the form of so-called febrile convulsions. Furthermore, fasciculations can be observed as late effects of polio as part of the so-called post-polio syndrome. If the liver is impaired in its detoxification function, it may lead to damage to the brain due to the increased concentration of chemical compounds such as ammonia or gamma-aminobutyric acid in the organism (hepatic encephalopathy). This, in turn, causes discomfort such as muscle twitching in the form of myoclonus and tremor or even progressive muscle loss.
As a trigger of muscle twitch also comes the so-called serotonin syndrome into consideration, which is caused by a long-term increased concentration of the neurotransmitter serotonin and similar acting substances. Cognitive impairments but also motor dysfunctions, such as muscle twitching and tremors, are the result. Not infrequently, the syndrome is caused by the interaction between different drugs. Long-term therapies with special psychotropic drugs (neuroleptics) are already considered a potential cause of motor disorders in the form of so-called tardive dyskinesia, which in turn may be accompanied by involuntary muscle contractions. An opiate dependency may also cause massive muscle twitches with appropriate withdrawal.
Suffering from severe magnesium deficiency can lead to impaired muscle function such as muscle cramps (usually calf cramps) and muscle twitching. Most sufferers are plagued by numerous other symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, headaches, regular falling asleep of hands and feet or back pain due to the lack of magnesium. Sodium deficiency or too low sodium content in the blood (hyponatraemia) can also be associated with muscle twitching in the form of myoclonus, tremor and, in extremely severe cases, even epileptic seizures. However, not only the lack of required minerals is to be considered as a possible cause of muscle twitching, but also an excessive concentration of certain substances may cause the discomfort. For example, in the hereditary disease Wilson's disease, the copper metabolism in the liver is disturbed, resulting in an increase in copper concentration in the organism. This in turn brings with it numerous complaints, which may include muscle twitching in the form of tremor, rarely even epileptic seizures. Increases the carbon dioxide concentration in the blood (hypercapnia), muscle twitching and muscle spasms in addition to the changes in the appearance of the skin (conspicuous redness) and cardiac arrhythmia to the possible consequences. A massive increase in carbon dioxide levels leads to disturbances of consciousness, including coma.
Furthermore, a pinched nerve may cause twitching of the muscles in the supply area of the affected nerve due to the disturbed signal transmission. In the case of severe hypothermia, the body tries to stabilize its temperature by shaking its muscles (trembling) and, finally, chills are just a special form of muscle twitching. As a possible cause of twitching of individual muscles, such as a nervous twitching of the eyelid, are also mental stress, such as severe grief or stress to call.
diagnosis
On the basis of a detailed survey of the patients on the intensity of muscle twitching, the affected muscles, already known pre-existing conditions, the intake of drugs and other potentially nerve-damaging substances often already give first indications of the cause of the complaints. As part of a subsequent physical examination, tests of reflexes, stimulus transmission or sensitivity, balance, coordination and muscle strength can provide further important clues to the diagnosis. A blood test in the laboratory is used to detect possibly present metabolic diseases, deficiencies or high concentration of certain substances in the organism and can also provide important evidence of possible infections or inflammatory processes. Special additional examination methods are used depending on the suspected cause of muscle twitching. For example, the so-called L-Dopa test is used to detect Parkinson's disease. In order to identify damage to the nerves, electroneurography (ENG) and electromyography (EMG) are used. By means of an electroencephalography (EEG), the electrical activity in the brain and thus, for example, the readiness of the brain for epileptic discharges can be determined.
Modern imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allow a more detailed analysis of brain functions and other special research methods, such as positron emission tomography (PET), are used for the targeted verification of neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography can generally make a significant contribution to the diagnosis. If in doubt, suspected inflammation of the brain or meninges may require a so-called lumbar puncture, in which a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) is drawn.
If it is not possible to determine the physical causes of muscle twitching with the available diagnostic methods, a psychological examination may be appropriate in order to check possible connections between the symptoms and mental factors.
treatment
If muscle twitching is caused by physical causes, the therapeutic options are often extremely limited and only a relief of the symptoms - but no cure - can be achieved. For example, Parkinson's therapy aims to slow down the course of the disease as much as possible, but does not cure those affected by their condition. In epilepsy, treatment is designed to prevent the onset of seizures, but again, there is no chance for patients to completely overcome their disease.
If the symptoms are due to deficiency symptoms, such as magnesium deficiency, the increased intake of the required minerals via the diet can serve to reduce muscle twitching. Corresponding drugs from the pharmacy are used in severe deficiencies. If the concentration of potassium or other substances that can cause muscle twitching is too high, it is usually aimed at reducing the corresponding blood values while at the same time reducing their intake via the diet. If a bacterial infection is the cause of febrile seizures or brain inflammation, antibiotics can usually be used to achieve promising healing results. In the case of viral infections, however, the treatment option is rather limited and those affected are much more dependent on their self-healing powers. If a connection of the muscle twitching with the intake of medicines is suspected, these should urgently be discontinued or instead alternative alternatives should be used.
Behavioral therapies are widely used in the treatment of tick disorders and are sometimes used in vegetative dystonia. In general, psychotherapeutic procedures can often achieve a comprehensive treatment success in mental muscle twitches. For severe forms, concomitant drug therapy is used. This can also serve to suppress the involuntary muscle movements (with the help of neuroleptics) in the event of a tick disorder. Finally, there is a wide range of treatment options available that can at least alleviate muscle twitching, although often the cause can not be resolved.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy offers some promising approaches to alleviate mental retardation, as well as incurable diseases such as Parkinson's disease. In accordance with the holistic approach of naturopathy, a whole bundle of different measures is often used to tackle the complaints on different levels. For example, in Parkinson's with the help of exercise or physiotherapy is trying to counteract the motor impairments. In addition, manual procedures such as osteopathy or massages and acupuncture can be used for this purpose. Various homeopathic remedies (for example, Antimonium tartaricum, Agaricus muscarius) and Schuessler salts (for example No. 2 Calcium Phosphoricum, and No. 7 Magnesium Phosphoricum) are used internally against the Parkinson's Disease, with the choice of appropriate agents being reserved for experienced therapists and the preparations may vary greatly depending on the constitution of the patients. In addition, speech and swallowing problems, which are to be expected in the later course of the disease, can be prevented with a speech therapy accompanying therapy.
In stress-related muscle twitching, naturopathy, in addition to psychotherapeutic measures, which include the learning of special stress avoidance or coping techniques (for example, autogenic training), also on herbal active ingredients, which should counteract the nervousness and inner restlessness of patients. Here are valerian, passion flowers and hops to name. Different homeopathic remedies, such as Aconitum, Cocculus, Coffea or Zincum metallicum, can also be used against the nervous muscle twitches, but here too the selection of suitable remedies ideally belongs to the hands of experienced therapists.
According to the various causes underlying the muscle twitch, numerous other naturopathic treatment approaches are possible, ranging from relatively easy to implement nutritional therapy and hydrotherapy methods to more complex methods that, for example, generally strengthen the immune system. (Fp)
Picture 1: Dieter Schütz