Introduction
Generally speaking, muscle twitches are involuntary contractions of muscle fibers, and almost any muscle group on the body can be affected. The possible causes of twitching in the calf muscles can be of a rather harmless nature on the one hand, but on the other hand a more serious illness can also be behind it. In most cases, small muscle twitches in the calf are harmless and can be remedied with little circumstance.
Twitching in the calf often occurs after intense sporting activity. In many cases this is then a magnesium deficiency. On the other hand, muscle twitches all over the body can also be an expression of a severe epileptic seizure (grand mal seizure), which is usually preceded by a loss of consciousness. On the other hand, a muscle twitching over the whole body can occur as part of a cold shiver or chills.
Causes
These causes can be triggers for muscle twitches in the calf:
- Liquid shortage
- Vitamin/trace element deficiency
- Hypoglycemia
- High stress level
- Magnesium deficiency
- Mental imbalance
- Nerve entrapment
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Hypothermia
- Side effects of certain drugs
In addition to the above-mentioned causes, more serious diseases can also be triggers, so that a doctor should always be consulted if there are frequent twitches in the calf muscles. Many neurological diseases can be accompanied by muscle twitches of any muscle group, for example
- Epilepsies
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Parkinson
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Wilson’s disease
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Tics
- Meningitis
- Cerebral hemorrhages
- Circulatory disorders in the affected muscles and the so-called restless legs syndrome can be accompanied by muscle twitches in the calf.
The treatment of muscle twitches in the calf basically depends on the underlying cause. In the simplest cases, muscle twitches can be treated by relieving stress or by taking calcium and magnesium, sufficient fluid intake and a balanced diet. If the cause lies in neurological diseases, in most cases a more complex treatment is necessary, which often consists of a combination of taking special medication, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. In the rarest cases, surgical therapy is also a possibility.
