How long do shoulder twitches last?
Harmless muscle twitches in the shoulder are usually only of short duration and not as pronounced. Furthermore, they do not occur as frequently. Under stress, however, the twitching can become more pronounced.
In ALS, slight twitches occur more frequently and are of varying duration. In the course of the disease, the symptoms become increasingly severe. Tremor, i.e. a permanent tremor, as in Parkinson’s disease, lasts continuously and can hardly be influenced.
Shoulder shrug with the child
In addition to the causes listed above, a frequent shrug of the shoulders during childhood can be a tic. Tics occur frequently in children and often disappear again by themselves. How the tics develop is unfortunately not known.
In any case, it is important not to admonish your child for the tics, as he or she cannot influence them. Only when the muscle twitches are accompanied by involuntary vocalizations that cannot be influenced is the Tourette’s syndrome mentioned. In many cases, however, no drug therapy is necessary.
Associated symptoms
Harmless muscle twitches are not usually accompanied by other symptoms. Although they can be very unpleasant and annoying, they do not normally cause pain. If the muscle twitches are very pronounced, a kind of muscle ache may occur after the twitching.
If there is a magnesium deficiency, it can also lead to fatigue, digestive problems (e.g. diarrhoea) and headaches. In severe diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), other typical symptoms occur in addition to the muscle twitches. Furthermore, the muscle twitches or tremor are spread over several parts of the body.
In Parkinson’s disease, in addition to the tremor, there is typically a slowing down of movement, muscle stiffness and a gait with small steps. The cause is the destruction of cells in the brain that control the movement sequences. ALS is also accompanied by increasing muscle weakness, which leads to paralysis as the disease progresses. Furthermore, there is a reduction in muscle mass and painful muscle cramps. Swallowing and speech disorders are also possible.
