Involuntary Muscle Movement

Occasionally, one tends to experience involuntary muscle movement. This is often brushed off as a temporary twitch or spasm. Things get complicated when these movements turn into a persistent condition, and start interfering with everyday life.

There are many causes of these involuntary muscle spasms and movements. The following paragraphs will discuss the causes, symptoms and possible treatment methods for this condition in short.

There are many neurological disorders that can lead to involuntary muscle movements. These muscle twitches and spasms occur when the electric impulses in the muscle nerves misfires. Some of the simple causes may also include an overused and tired muscle. This generally leads to an eye twitch, or twitch at the corner of the mouth. 

Sometimes, holding a muscle in a particular position for a long time also leads to muscle fatigue. Usually, after a strenuous exercise, physical activity or due to hot weather, one may experience these involuntary spasms. People who write or type continuously suffer from writer's cramp.

Dehydration will cause depletion in electrolytes from the muscle cells. This causes the muscles to get irritated, and the deficiency of electrolytes leads to muscle spasms.

Reduction in blood supply causes deficiency of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. This condition arises due to atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries). When muscles do not receive enough nutrients and oxygen, they begin to twitch involuntarily. Many times diseases such as diabetes, anemia or kidney diseases also cause muscle spasms.

 When the smooth muscles in the intestines undergo involuntary muscle spasms, it leads to colic. This is a rhythmic pain that may generally occur after eating food. People suffering from kidney stones may experience involuntary muscle movement in the ureter.

This is because the kidney stones passing through the ureter irritate the smooth muscles, causing pain and spasm. These were some of the simple causes. When these muscle twitches turn aggressive, they give rise to complications that affect normal functioning of the body. Some of these types include:

• Athetosis: Continuous movement of the fingers and hands.
• Chorea: Continuous jerky movements that causes a person to be stuck in a single posture for a few seconds.
• Dystonia: Involuntary muscle spasms that occur due to basal ganglia disorders. Dystonia includes blepharospasm, oromandibular dystonia and writer's cramp

• Myoclonus: Rapid and repetitive muscle jerks that includes hiccups
• Spasmodic torticollis: A condition where the head leans on one side as muscles on the other side of the head are contracted

• Tics: Repetitive, movements that occur as a simple tic or complex multiple tics
• Tremors: These are rhythmic movements affecting a part of the body

These involuntary movements generally occur suddenly after a particular muscle contracts. The person who experiences them feels slight twitching. Most of the time, these twitches are not noticeable to other people.

Sometimes, these spasms and twitches occur after a person falls asleep. One of the most common symptoms is eyelid twitching. Sometimes a few muscles may twitch for just a few seconds, and it called fasciculation. Most of the time, the symptoms of smooth muscle twitches depend on the organ involved.

The treatment generally depends on the cause. Muscle twitches and spasms due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can be treated by replenishing the body with fluids. Before one carries out rigorous training or exercise, it is important to stretch and warm up. This helps prepare the muscles for a strenuous activity.

One may be given anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants or narcotics in case muscle injuries are causing these spasms. Medical conditions such as neurological disorders as well as muscle disorders causing these muscle movements need to be treated accordingly.

There are medications that help control these muscle spasms that are caused due to Parkinson's disease, myoclonic epilepsies, muscular degeneration, myasthenia gravis, Lyme disease and Kennedy disease.

Involuntary muscle movements usually mean the muscles are fatigued and overworked. These spasms and twitches appear for just a few seconds to minutes, and disappear on their own. However, when these movements turn persistent and interfere with daily activities as well as sleep, one needs to visit a doctor.

These involuntary movements may be an indication of an underlying nervous system disorder within the body mentioned in the paragraphs above.