Why thumb twitch involuntarily

Repeating the same motion over and over again — like playing a video game or typing on a keyboard — can damage the muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments in your hands. Repetitive motion injuries are common in people who work on assembly lines or use vibrating equipment. If you keep repeating the movement, you may eventually lose function in the affected finger or thumb. Strong emotions can make your body tense up or feel restless. Stress can worsen shaking conditions like essential tremor.

And it can trigger repeated muscle spasms called tics, which look like twitching movements. Your brain triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline. These hormones increase your heart rate and breathing, and make your brain more alert to handle the impending threat. Stress hormones can also make you shaky and jittery. You may notice that your thumb or other parts of your body twitch.

Anxiety can also cause symptoms like:. A lack of sleep does more than cause fatigue and crankiness. Too little shut-eye could also make you shaky.

Sleep has direct effects on your nervous system. How much you sleep can affect the release of chemicals that are involved in movement. Research finds that extreme sleep deprivation makes the hands shake. A cup of coffee in the morning may wake you up and make you feel more alert. But drinking too much coffee could leave you shaky.

The shaking is due to the stimulant effect of caffeine. Previous Next. Medically reviewed by Kristina Lafaye, MD. Is your thumb twitching lately? Have you learned that muscle twitching is one of the symptoms of ALS? Can a twitching thumb mean something serious, even deadly? The thumb contains voluntary muscles. There are no good days. A fairly typical scenario for an individual with ALS is this: The person is fit and active, and begins to develop an isolated symptom of weakness such as unilateral foot drop.

Lafaye is assistant professor of clinical neurology, and director, Neurology Student Education at Tulane University School of Medicine. The medical team concluded that the tremor resulted from the vitamin E deficiency, but noted that this symptom of the deficiency is rare. The treatment for involuntary movements caused by a vitamin E deficiency is a high dosage of oral vitamin E supplements. Anyone who suspects that they have a nutrient deficiency should consult a doctor, who can recommend the right dosage of supplements.

People with benign fasciculation syndrome BFS have widespread involuntary muscle twitches. Symptoms are usually present for years, and some clinicians only diagnose BFS if the symptoms have existed for at least 5 years. Doctors do not know what causes BFS. However, one study found a link between this syndrome and decreased neurological activity in the small nerve fibers in the skin and sweat glands. Confirming this relationship will require more research. BFS does not progress to motor neuron disease and does not require treatment.

Nonetheless, researchers have successfully controlled muscle twitching with the drug gabapentin , which acts on the nervous system. Also, some doctors have found that certain drugs that treat epilepsy, such as carbamazepine and phenytoin, can reduce muscle twitches.

It is worth noting, however, that using the drugs above to treat twitching constitutes off-label use. Essential tremor is the repeated, involuntary movement of a body part. In a person with essential tremor, the movements occur with consistent frequency and force. Essential tremor is the most common neurological cause of tremors, but doctors do not know what causes the condition. People usually experience essential tremor in their hands. Some people seek treatment for essential tremor, and both medical and nonmedical interventions can help.

Regarding medication, doctors will use trial and error to find the most appropriate drug and dosage for each person. The following table lists the first, second, and third lines of treatment for essential tremor. These drugs have not received FDA approval to treat essential tremor specifically, but some doctors prescribe them for this purpose on an off-label basis. Also, a person may find that weighing down the affected area helps control their tremor. For example, a weighted wrist band may help with essential tremor in the hand.

Additionally, doctors may recommend relaxation techniques for people whose tremors are worsened by anxiety. These and other medical conditions can cause a loss of feeling or sensation in limbs or other parts of the body, muscle wasting, and weakness and should be evaluated by a medical doctor.

If you are experiencing thumb twitching or other issues with your hands, call the board-certified hand surgeons and specialists at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder.

Located conveniently throughout Maryland, we are ready to help you. Call our main office number today or request an appointment online at one of our locations in the Greater Chesapeake area. All rights reserved. Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder has 7 locations throughout Maryland offering advanced upper extremity orthopedic care for conditions and injuries of the shoulder , arm , wrist , elbow , hand and fingers. Our orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgeons possess the sub-specialty as hand surgeons providing treatment for shoulder pain , arm pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, hand pain, sports injuries , work related injury, arthritis , hand nerve injury repair, carpal tunnel syndrome , bite injuries , wrist fractures broken wrist , tennis elbow - lateral epicondylitis, pediatric orthopedics.

Our hand surgeons also offer arthroscopy , joint replacement, on-site x-ray and are expert witnesses for court cases. Search this website. Call today for an appointment: Twitching Thumbs Basics Twitching the medical term is fasciculation involves small muscle movements in a limited area.

Some common reasons thumbs may start twitching include — Sleep deprivation, which can cause exhaustion in any part of our body.