Involuntary muscle twitches may indicate neurological condition (Sept 5, 2013) Q I am a 25-year-old man. For the past one year or so, I have noticed that muscles in different parts of my body twitch involuntarily. It has happened in my thighs, calves, arms and back. It happens in a small area and I have tried pressing my fingers on my muscles to stop them from twitching, but to no avail. I have no major health issues, except that I have been receiving monthly steroid injections for the past five years for my keloids. Do I have any cause for worry? A The involuntary twitches or contractions are known as fasciculations. Everyone, at some point in time, will experience some twitching but, thankfully, they usually do not persist. Fasciculations are very common, but usually benign. Some common benign causes include magnesium deficiency, use of certain types of medication, such as bronchodilators for asthma patients and pseudoephedrine for treating nasal congestion. A few cases of steroid use causing fasciculations have been reported, but these are rather rare occurrences. Stress and anxiety can also lead to fasciculations. Even caffeine has been known to cause fasciculations. However, some fasciculations can be caused by serious conditions and these need to be evaluated by a doctor. Extract of reply by DR DAVID CHOY, consultant neurosurgeon at Raffles Surgery Centre at Raffles Hospital To read more, go to: straitstimes/supplements/mind-your-body/story/involuntary-muscle-twitches-may-indicate-neurological-condition-201
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 11:46:25 +0000
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