Why Does Muscle Twitching Spread throughout the Body?
This isn’t about why the muscle twitching of ALS spreads throughout the body, but why benign fasciculations quickly spread to other areas of the body.
And this quick, so-called spreading typically occurs the moment a person discovers that muscle twitching is one of the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Whether the individual’s initial twitching began in the arch of a foot, back of the upper leg, the calf, somewhere in the back, a finger or their neck – the twitching rapidly spreads to the point where it ends up being all over the body.
“All over” may refer to all four limbs, or to the trunk, eyelids, butt and shoulders, or to alternations between major areas such as the calves, then upper legs, then face, then upper legs, etc.
Too Simple…
For some people, it’s too simplistic to just say that anxiety drives this reaction to the fear of having ALS.
It’s too simplistic, perhaps, to point out that feeling fear puts the body in a preparation state for a fight or flight.
If the body’s going to prepare for a fight or flight from a perceived threat (in this case, a deadly disease), the muscles all over will be involved.
After all, you can’t fight or escape from a threat with only one small section of your body. Thus, the twitching is felt all over.
“Muscles are generally not used in isolation, and we use many muscles throughout the course of the day,” says Mitzi J. Williams, MD, clinical neurologist with Morehouse School of Medicine and clinical advisor for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
“Muscle twitching can occur in different muscles as we use different ones. In the case of ALS, the twitching spreads as more nerve junctions are affected.”
But the spread of ALS twitching occurs many times slower than the spread of benign fasciculations driven by anxiety.
Harmless muscle twitching can go from zero to 60 in just seconds with heart-pounding anxiety.
Many men and women suffer from this anxiety, especially if they have pre-existing health worries.
“I would tell them that ALS is characterized by muscle twitching and weakness in various areas of the body,” says Dr. Williams.
“If you have stable twitching with no weakness, and you have been evaluated by a healthcare professional, then it is not likely related to a serious condition.
“Again, pair the knowledge you obtain from reading with a formal medical assessment. Also remember that sometimes anxiety can increase twitching as well.”
Other Benign Causes of Fasciculations
• Caffeine
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Exercise or physical exertion
• Fatigue or localized muscle strain
• Magnesium deficiency
• Overuse of a small muscle group (e.g., twitching finger from excessive computer mouse use)
Dr. Williams is author of “MS Made Simple: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis.” She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/igorstevanovic
What Exactly Is Mild Multiple Sclerosis?
Ever hear of “mild” multiple sclerosis?
Isn’t this life-changing disease supposed to be serious? And can “mild” MS progress to a severe form?
“A term that is used to describe mild MS is benign MS,” says Mitzi J. Williams, MD, clinical neurologist with Morehouse School of Medicine, an MS specialist and clinical advisor for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
“Benign MS is characterized by episodes of relapse followed by complete return to baseline so that people have no neurologic impairment.”
Alternative treatment made the symptoms disappear…or… was it just mild MS that went into remission?
Hmmm, this is very thought provoking. If one has a mild or benign version of multiple sclerosis, sooner or later – by definition – it will go into remission.
If this coincides with the implementation of an alternative treatment, such as a special diet, the patient might believe that the diet subdued the symptoms.
If there’s another flare-up, however, and the patient has been sticking to the alternative treatment, then the treatment was probably not effective – and the remission was just a coincidence.
Can Mild or Benign MS Actually Exist?
Multiple sclerosis. Freepik/brgfx
“There is some debate in the neurologic community about the term benign MS and if this form of MS really exists, meaning that there may be subtle signs of neurologic dysfunction that progress over time,” says Dr. Williams.
“There are some people who have very good outcomes and do have a milder course of disease, but it is difficult to say what percentage of people living with the disease have this outcome.
“There was a British study describing patients with mild MS over decades, and the data was very interesting, but it would be important to look at similar data in other groups of patients to see if the results are replicated.
“It is important to remember that every person with MS is different, and that generally it is a progressive disease, although some cases may result in milder progression than others.”
Dr. Williams is author of “MS Made Simple: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis.” She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
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