Right arm twitching

Right arm twitching can be due to muscle twitches which are minor, involuntary, repetitive motions of a skeletal muscle. These motions happen  due to little contractions of the affected muscle , these muscles can be small muscle groups which are connected to a single motor nerve fiber.

And this is the thing that differentiates muscle twitches from muscle cramps, that generally affect multiple muscle groups in a given area at the same time like that of calf cramp. It also makes them totally different from the myoclonus type which are very quick, involuntary muscle jerks like the hiccups.

In medical terms or terminology the muscle twitches are called fasciculation’s sometimes. Twitches can occur in any person  and in any skeletal muscle in the body, be it facial muscles or arm muscles.  However, facial twitches typically affect the muscles of the eyes or around the mouth

What other symptoms that might occur with right arm twitching ?

What are the causes for right arm twitching?

How to treat right arm twitching?

When should one see a doctor for right arm twitching?

How to diagnose the cause of right arm twitching?

What other symptoms that might occur with right arm twitching ?

While muscle twitches can occur with many other symptoms, they are usually isolated events which do not have other symptoms.

However muscle twitches may accompany other symptoms, that vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. These Symptoms can involve other body systems. So muscle symptoms which may occur along with muscle twitches.

Everyday muscle twitches may accompany other symptoms affecting the muscles including following:

• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Muscle cramps
• Anxiety
• Headache
• Increased right arm  numbness or tingling while typing or writing something
• Irritability in children
• Nausea can be with or without vomiting
• Weakness

Some serious symptoms which might indicate a life-threatening condition with right arm twitch are discussed below.

Although it’s known to all that muscle twitches themselves are not that serious, only in some cases they may be a symptom of a life-threatening condition.

It’s important to seek immediate medical care  for any of these life-threatening symptoms including these :

• Absent or diminished pulse
• Change in level of consciousness or alertness, like passing out or unresponsive

• Altered  mental status or sudden behavior change, like confusion, delirium, lethargy, and hallucinations
• Difficulty related to memory, thinking, comprehension, writing and reading
• High fever
• Loss of muscle coordination
• Paralysis on one side or inability to move a body part
• Seizures
• Severe headache
• Slurred  speech or inability to speak
• Sudden changes in the vision, or loss of complete vision, or eye pain

What are the causes for right arm twitching?

There are many possible causes of right arm twitching , which vary greatly in severity or it’s possible to have whole body twitching at a time as the location and duration of the twitch depends on the underlying cause of it .

Mostly minor and the short-lived twitches may be the result of excess high intensity exercise or excess caffeine consumption. However long-term muscle twitches may be due to some neurological condition which can be serious. In some other cases, muscle twitches may be the result of a serious condition or a problem , like a traumatic brain injury or brain tumor.

The common causes of right arm muscle twitching are following:

• Anxiety
• Dehydration (loss of body fluids and electrolytes, which can be life-threatening when severe or left untreated)
• Exercise
• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Having Vitamin deficiency
• Medications: as there are certain medications or few drugs that can cause or increase muscle twitching which include:

1. Amphetamines
2. Asthma bronchodilators, like albuterol
3. Caffeine
4. Decongestants, like pseudoephedrine
5. Stimulant drugs for ADHD like methylphenidate

• Some Neurological causes of twitches : Conditions which cause the CNS problem or that affect the nervous system can cause muscle twitching  including:

1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2. Brachial plexus injury if injury to the bundle of nerves which transmit signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand happens it can result in twitching.

• Multiple sclerosis :A disease which affects the brain and spinal cord leading to the weakness, coordination, balance difficulties, and many other problems including right arm twitching sometimes.
• Muscular dystrophy  : This is  an inherited disorder that causes a progressive loss of muscle tissue and muscle weakness and sometimes twitching too.
• Myasthenia gravis : This condition is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder which causes muscle weakness and leads to twitching in the body
• Parkinson’s disease  it’s a  brain disorder that impairs movement and coordination and affects our body in such a way that can lead to twitching.

There are some other causes of muscle twitches that include following:

• Benzodiazepine withdrawal
• Kidney disease, like kidney stones,  sometimes kidney failure, and kidney anomalies
• Metabolic and hormonal disorders
• Transient tic disorder

There are some serious or life-threatening causes of twitches which include following:

• Brain tumor
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Stroke
• Transient ischemic attack
• Severe Trauma to the face, head or neck
• Traumatic brain injury

How to treat right arm twitching?

It typically is not necessary to treat right arm muscle twitching when there is no underlying medical cause for the twitch. In most of the cases of twitching be it right arm twitching or anywhere else in the body, the twitch will resolve within a few days with some self-care techniques that include getting some rest, decreasing the caffeine intake, staying hydrated always, and reducing the amount of stress. If in case there’s a medical condition that is in particular responsible for right arm muscle twitches, treating it may improve the problem. The mode of  treatment is specific and will depend on the underlying condition. If right arm twitching is due to a tic that impairs quality of life, medicines may help control them.

When should one see a doctor for right arm twitching ?

As we discussed earlier too that muscle twitches are not serious and the problem resolves on its own in most cases. However, there are many times when seeing a doctor is the best and safest option to diagnose underlying causes of right arm twitching. So make an appointment to see the concerned doctor for right arm twitching when:

• Twitching occurs in more than one area like in right arm and in other places too like, muscle twitches in the legs and face, or affects several muscle groups, like  muscle twitching all over the body.
• In case twitching is severe or persists for more than a couple of days or a week.
• If accompanies with weakness

The following signs are signs of emergency call the doctor or emergency department as soon as possible if you see any of these :

• If a person has confusion, loss of coordination, paralysis, seizures and severe vomiting.
• If a person has shortness of breath with leg or calf pain or with swelling in one or both legs.
• If a person has sudden changes in speech, vision, memory, thinking or in comprehension.
• If a person has high fever or severe headache

How to diagnose the cause of right arm twitching?

To diagnose the cause of right arm twitching, the doctor will take a medical history, perform an physical exam, and possibly order some testing. Doctor will ask few questions about muscle twitches which include following:

1. Whether is patient receiving hemodialysis?
2. How long has patient experienced right arm twitching?
3. About the severity , that is how severe is twitching?
4. About location that where is the patient having the twitches other than right arm?
5. Whether the twitches are constant or do they come and go?
6. Are there any other associated symptoms, like weakness , fatigue ?
7. What medications is patient on?
8. Does patient have any other medical conditions ?

During the physical exam of the body , the concerned doctor will likely test the reflexes to evaluate  nervous system. The doctor may also test the muscle strength and complete overall musculoskeletal health to rule out other conditions. Depending on the results of reflex check other  testing may be necessary which may include following:

• Some Blood tests to check the blood chemistry, electrolytes, and thyroid hormone levels in the body
• Electromyography, this tests  muscle’s activity
• Imaging test of the brain and spine, including CT scans, and MRIs to rule out nervous system problem.
• Nerve conduction study this measures how well the nerves carry impulses to other places

• This is important to remember that its not always possible to diagnose an underlying cause or condition of twitching . In case the  twitches persist and the doctor  is unable to determine the cause, seeking a second opinion may give you more information and answers about the underlying disease

Outlook

As we mentioned right arm twitching can include repetitive muscle spasms. This twitching can be short-lived or it can be permanent depends on the under lying cause . These may sometimes be due to nervous system disorders or muscle disorders or due to normal lifestyle things or another underlying condition. But to mention typically these twitches are a normal body reaction to some normal day to day things like exercise, which can tire the muscles to great extent or excess caffeine consumption or High levels of stress or severe anxiety these all can increase the frequency of muscle twitching in the body anywhere including the right arm