Finger Twitching

A couple of months ago, I started experiencing some unusual sensation in my hands. Quite often there used to be unexpected twitching in my fingers and sometimes my hand used to go numb while sleeping. Though the condition used to last for a couple of seconds or minutes, eventually I noticed that the thumb and index finger of my left hand have started twitching more often. Though I didn't have any muscle weakness and my energy levels were also normal, after doing some strenuous exercise, I used to experience severe finger twitching or spasm that when I tried holding an object, my hands started trembling. This build up great anxiety in me and being worried of my condition I decide to consult a doctor to diagnose the underlying cause of my finger muscle twitching. Thankfully the results showed that I was suffering from some vitamin deficiencies and there were no serious complications. However, besides this what else I came to know during the diagnoses from my doctor, I would like to share with you all...

Finger twitching is not a disease in itself and can be a symptom of some other diseases. Considering that the main reason for twitching can be stress, incorrect sleeping posture or calcium deficiency we usually tend to ignore it. But there can be various other severe factors that may contribute to twitching or spasm, which if not diagnosed and treated in time can be life-threatening. What are those causes, let us try to understand with the coming section.

Causes

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve traveling through the carpal tunnel (a passageway in the wrist via which nerves and the flexor muscles of the hands pass). There can be various intrinsic as well extrinsic factors like lipomas, ganglion, vascular malformation, muscle overuse, etc. that may result to this condition. Numbness, twitching, burning sensations, muscle cramps, lost gripping strength and in extreme cases, pain in the hands or wrist are some of the common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Parkinson's Disease
Another severe cause for finger spasms and twitching is Parkinson's disease. It is a life-threatening degenerating disorder of the central nervous system that usually deteriorates the patient's motor skills, speech, and other bodily functions. It is basically a movement disorder which is characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement (bradykinesia), and eventually a loss of physical movement (akinesia). Though its actual cause is still unknown, some of the probable causes include genetic, toxins, head trauma, cerebral anoxia, and drug-induced Parkinson's disease. Finger twitching, numbness, muscle spasms, etc., are some of the common symptoms of Parkinson's disease during the initial stages.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a type of motor neuron disease. It is a progressive, severe, neurodegenerative disease, which occurs due to the degeneration of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the central nervous system responsible for voluntary muscle movement. The onset of ALS may be so insidious that its symptoms are often overlooked. However, twitching, cramping, stiffness of the affected muscles, muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg, etc. are some of the mild ALS symptoms which can be noticed during the initial stages.

Though in most of the cases, the causes of finger twitching are not this severe and so the symptom usually gets cured on its own, either by doing some finger, arm exercises or by making some healthy dietary changes. However, if the condition prevails for a longer period of time, do not delay to consult your doctor. As the best way to overcome twitching and spasm in the fingers is its early diagnose and corresponding treatment.