Can Muscle Twitching Be Caused by Anxiety?

There's no denying that anxiety affects your body. One way it can wreak havoc is through muscle twitches. Whether it's something as small as a finger or as large as your entire leg, twitching is incredibly common.

Anxiety muscle twitching can be a strange sensation. In some cases, your muscle may even move involuntarily. For those suffering from serious anxiety, this symptom can cause a lot of concern, especially in those with health anxiety, since muscle twitches are associated with some frightening disorders.

What is Muscle Twitching?

Muscle twitching (also known as body jerking) is when a singular muscle, or group of muscles, moves involuntarily. This means that your muscles move out of your control.

Body jerking can involve just a small muscle movement or a much more noticeable jerk. Twitching most commonly occurs in the:

Most cases of twitching muscles go unnoticed as they’re so subtle and only last a few days. However, if you experience body jerking often, these involuntary muscle movements can become distressing and downright irritating.

So, what causes muscle twitching?

What Causes Muscle Twitching?

A muscle twitch occurs when a muscle contracts (tightens up) without your control. There are several factors that can trigger body jerking. Let’s take a look.

Stress

Stress sets off a chemical reaction that makes twitching more likely. How does it work exactly? Well, during normal functioning, our brain sends signals to our muscles which tell them to contract, allowing us to move.

However, stress causes the brain to send signals to our muscles when we’re perfectly still and have no intention to move. This causes involuntary body jerking.

Stress also triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline. This increases the likelihood of muscle twitching too. And if the stress response is continually being activated (as is the case with anxiety disorders), body jerking often occurs as a consequence - more on that later in the article!

Adrenaline

Adrenaline causes the body to send more energy to the muscles, even when they don’t need it. This unnecessary energy surge can make the muscles contract. However, in others, this will simply motivate them to move - these individuals may release the excess energy this way, instead of through muscle twitching.Prolonged anxiety can cause continual adrenaline release, which can worsen body jerks.

Poor Sleep

Another reason why muscles twitch is a lack of sleep. Not only can a poor night’s sleep make us feel groggy the next day, but it can also cause a hormone imbalance which can affect our muscle’s excitability, bringing about body jerking.This can also lead to more anxiety.

Caffeine

Although most of us love a cup of Joe, caffeine makes body jerking more likely as it interacts with ADP (adenosine diphosphate) molecules in our bodies. Caffeine alters ADP concentration, which can affect the amount of energy sent to our muscles. This can lead to overstimulation, potentially resulting in muscle twitches.

Other prominent causes of muscle twitches include:

• Bad nutrition - not eating enough micronutrients.

• Hormone imbalances - thyroid or cortisol imbalance can cause muscle twitching.

• Dehydration - your muscles need water to function correctly.

Furthermore, muscle twitching can occur as a result of neurological disorders.