Almost everyone has experienced muscle twitching. Usually, this is caused by stress, dehydration, or taking certain medications. Even so, muscle twitching can also be a symptom of a neurological disease. Then, is multiple sclerosis (MS) a cause of muscle twitching?
What is multiple sclerosis(MS)?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease. This is a condition when the body’s immune system attacks itself accidentally.
In people with MS, the immune system attacks myelin, the protein and fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerve fibers.
This condition causes the myelin to break down, forming scar tissue called sclerosis in many areas.
Damage to myelin in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord ) and other nerve fibers can interfere with signal transmission between these vital organs and other parts of the body.
Damage to these nerves can be permanent. As a result, various MS-related symptoms appear.
However, the symptoms that appear can vary from person to person, depending on where and when the damage occurred.
Why do muscles twitch?
Before learning more about muscle twitching as a symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), you need to understand why this condition occurs.
In general, muscle twitching occurs when there is damage or overstimulation of the motor nerve cells.
Normally, the brain as the command center sends signals via motor nerve cells to muscles to control movement.
However, when there is damage or overstimulation of the motor nerve cells, the muscles do not receive motor signals as they should.
As a result, the muscles begin to move repetitively and out of control or what is called twitching. The muscle wrinkles usually occur on the face (especially eyelid wrinkles ), arms, legs, hands, or feet.
Are muscle twitches a symptom of MS?
Yes, you could say, muscle twitching or involuntary and uncontrollable muscle movements is one of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
Even so, not all muscle twitching is a symptom of this disease. What does it mean? Look, what you need to understand, muscle twitches have three forms, namely fasciculations, spasms, and clonus.
Fasciculations are a type of muscle twitch that are not associated with multiple sclerosis, whereas spasms and clonus may be associated with the disease.
So, what’s the difference between the three? Fasciculations are uncontrolled muscle movements due to disturbances in the lower motor nerve cells.
The lower motor nerve itself is in charge of sending nerve signals from the spinal cord to the muscles.
Fasciculations are a symptom of a neurological disease that affects the lower motor nerves, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, fasciculations are also a symptom of the postpolio syndrome and muscle atrophy.
Multiple sclerosis rarely affects lower motor neurons. That is why fasciculations are not a symptom of multiple sclerosis.
However, advanced multiple sclerosis can sometimes affect lower motor neurons causing fasciculations, although this is rare.
Meanwhile, muscle twitching, spasm (spasticity) and clonus are common symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
The spasm occurs when there is a signal disturbance between the upper and lower motor nerves so that the leg muscles become stiff. The legs or arms become more difficult to move, the movement slows down.
Spasticity also causes knee and ankle jerk responses to become overactive. Over time, the ability to control movement may be lost.
Similar to spasticity, clonus also causes jerky muscle movements. For example, when the doctor taps your knee to observe the knee’s response to a stimulus, the knee will be able to show a rapid response.
In some more severe cases, clonus can cause muscles to become more hyperactive, namely by shaking rhythmically and uncontrollably.
Other symptoms of multiple sclerosis
According to Osmosis Multiple Sclerosis – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology
Even if you experience muscle twitches, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have multiple sclerosis. The reason is, that muscle twitching can also occur due to other conditions.
As previously explained, muscle twitching can occur due to stress, lack of sleep, excessive caffeine consumption, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, or side effects of drugs.
Then, how to make sure that the muscle twitches you are experiencing are a symptom of MS?
Consulting a doctor is the most appropriate action to find out for sure whether the symptoms you are experiencing are related to certain neurological diseases.
However, make sure that your symptoms are getting worse and that they have been going on for a long time, such as months or even years, and that they often recur without an obvious trigger.
Also, pay attention if there are other symptoms of multiple sclerosis that appear. Summarizing the Mayo Clinic page, here are some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
1. Numbness or weakness on one side of the body.
2. An electric shock-like sensation that occurs with certain neck movements.
3. Tremors, lack of coordination, or unsteadiness when walking.
4. Vision problems, such as blurry vision, double vision, and pain when the eyes are moved.
5. Slurred talk.
6. Fatigue.
7. dizzy.
8. Tingling or pain in one part of the body.
9. Problems with sexual, bowel, and bladder function.
Therefore, if you experience twitching accompanied by the above signs that last for a long time, you should immediately consult a doctor.