Thumb Twitching

If you are experiencing thumb twitching off late, then you need to sit up and take notice. This is not something you can afford to ignore as the repercussions of such action could be very extreme. There are plenty of thumb twitching causes that you may have heard of, but you must not panic as this is not something out of the ordinary. There are many people like you who are also experiencing thumb twitching and can find no reason to explain it. Just because you are experiencing twitching of thumb does not necessarily mean that you have contracted some major disease. Also read about muscle twitching.

It is important to keep in mind that the thumb contains voluntary muscles in it. It is not abnormal if it occasionally jumps or twitches by itself. This is a common occurrence and you must not be alarmed by it. There are many other muscles in the body as well that twitch involuntarily, like the toe muscles, leg muscles, arm muscles or even the eyes. Read more on eye twitching. But since the twitching of the thumb can be seen directly in front of us we tend to panic at the sight of it. Read more about muscle twitching in arm.

Thumb Twitching Causes
Now if you find yourself experiencing thumb twitching on a regular basis and feel that it is continuing for a period of time that can be considered abnormal, you should be aware of the possible causes of thumb twitching. There are many small niggles and injuries, one of the symptoms of which is the twitching of the thumb. In most likelihood, you probably have a repetitive motion injury of some sort, that is causing your thumb to twitch. A repetitive motion injury is something that is the prelude to serious nerve trauma or damage. You must visit a neurologist immediately and have your twitching thumb looked at. For the detection and treatment of nerve trauma there are very specific tests that need to be carried out, and only a specialist can carry out these procedures.

Some other common causes of excessive thumb twitching are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). The twitching of the thumb can also be caused by genetic compositions, and you can be assured that this is the cause if the twitching begins in the shoulders or the ribs. Some types of epilepsy and even Parkinson's disease start in this way as well.

There are some other common causes for thumb twitching as well. Some of these causes are as follows.

• Diet deficiency
• Drug overdose
• Drug side effects
• Faulty exercise
• Benign twitches

Tests Conducted for Thumb Twitching
There are many tests that a neurologist conducts to try and ascertain the possible causes of your twitching thumb. As a result of this, you may not receive a diagnosis right away and may even be required to visit the specialist a few more times. Some tests like urine tests, blood sugar level tests, nerve conduction tests and other regular blood tests will be carried out at the clinic itself, so they may not cause too much inconvenience. There will be a few other tests though, that will have to be performed at some outpatient facilities. Some of these tests are spinal tap, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan and other specialist blood tests.

Also read further on the following topics.

• Muscle Pain
• Muscle Fatigue
• Muscle Cramps

The most important thing to remember while experiencing thumb twitching is not to ignore the twitching. It could be a symptom of anything, explained or unexplained, and ignoring it would only increase the level of risk involved. While it is important to not panic at the sight of a twitching thumb, you must closely monitor it and if it occurs frequently and for long periods of time, you must go visit a specialist immediately.