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Muscle twitching

• Overview
• Treatment

Definition:

Muscle twitches are fine movements of a small area of muscle.

Alternative Names:

Muscle fasciculation; Fasciculations of muscle

Considerations:

Muscle twitching is the result of minor local muscle contractions or the uncontrollable twitching of a single muscle group served by a single motor nerve fiber or filament.

Muscle twitches are minor and often go unnoticed. Some are common and normal, while others indicate a neurologic disorder.

Common Causes:

• Benign twitches (not caused by disease or disorders)
  • Often affecting the eyelids, calf, or thumb
  • Normal and quite common, often triggered by stress or anxiety
• A diet deficiency
• Drug overdose (caffeine)
• Drug side effect (such as diuretics, corticosteroids and estrogens)
• Exercise

Symptoms suggestive of a neurological cause of fasciculations include:

• Wasting of muscle
• Weakness
• Other findings of nerve dysfunction

Neurological illnesses where fasciculations are seen include:

• Chronic denervation of muscle due to disk compression of nerve exiting the spinal cord
• ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Muscular dystrophy
• Myopathy

• Review Date: 3/5/2007
• Reviewed By: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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