Don't fret about your legs twitching

I'm a 60-year-old male and for quite some time I've been going through twitching from the muscle both in calves. It causes small cavities to appear and vanish within the flesh. It appears to become continuous and it is most noticeable when laying in mattress during the night, even though it stops after i move. From time to time, it'll result in a spasm or cramp. I take medication for bloodstream pressure and cholesterol and it was identified with diabetes type 2 about 2 yrs ago, however this leg problem pre-dates this. C.F.R, Taunton, Somerset.

Lots of people believe the twitching will get worse during the night - actually, it does not, it's simply that people notice it more

That which you have is really a harmless, and customary, nerve condition which in turn causes involuntary twitching in a variety of muscles — inside your situation, within the legs.

The problem also affects the arms, the face area as well as the tongue, even though the eyelids are the most typical site.

Indeed a lot of us notice a twitching eye lid sometimes, and patients frequently hurry to determine me with concern with what it really means.

The technical reputation for this twitching is ‘benign fasciculation syndrome’.

When the twitching stops once the affected muscle can be used, then that verifies diagnosing for me personally (the twitching frequently returns once the muscle is relaxed).

The main reason benign muscle fasciculation happens is unclear — I think about it as being an ordinary human experience as opposed to a problem.

However, some physiologists along with other experts suspect it may be a problem from the nerves supplying the muscles, muscle fibres themselves, or even the junction backward and forward, a website known as the motor finish plate. But, remember, it's harmless and definitely won’t weaken parts of your muscles.

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Lots of people, as if you, believe the twitching will get worse during the night —in fact, it doesn’t, it’s simply that people notice it more.

Muscle cramps are another feature of the condition, cheap you've had this symptom for many years without other things occurring further props up diagnosis.

Various other serious problems that cause muscle twitching are supported by other signs and symptoms.

For example, muscle twitching noticed in benign fasciculation syndrome can also be much like that present in motor neurone disease.

However, with motor neurone disease the twitching continues if the muscles are used or otherwise — movement doesn’t stop it.

If this sounds like possible, the twitching could be looked into by an electromyogram — a recording from the electrical activity from the muscle.

This is abnormal with motor neurone disease, but normal in benign fasciculation syndrome.

Another conditions cause muscle twitches for example Lyme disease, contamination triggered by bacteria moved by tick bites, and ms — nevertheless the latter is supported by other signs and symptoms for example blurred vision and numbness.

Still, whenever a patient for example yourself presents to some physician, other possible diagnoses should be considered and excluded, partially by background and examination, and partially by tests for example electromyogram, if considered necessary.

The harmless character of you are established because you've had the signs and symptoms for quite some time without other things becoming apparent.

My view is your muscle twitches don't need treatment — think about it as part of your natural physiology, and never an illness that requires treating.

Hopefully, it’s this explanation that's needed — and also the reassurance that it's not related to a nerve disease, your medications for top-bloodstream pressure, the statins you are taking, or perhaps your diabetes type 2.

In the last 15 several weeks I've created a 2.5?centimetres hernia within my abdomen that vanishes after i lie on my small back.What, contrary, can one do in order to slow its progress and when must i consider surgery? My GP states it’s a significant operation. I'm 75.John James, Ryton, Coventry.

An abdominal hernia, for example yours, happens once the items in the abdomen — often a portion of the digestive tract — bulge through an item of weakness within the muscles from the abdominal wall.

You know me your bulge hernia is umbilical, meaning it happens round the navel. However, the most typical site for any hernia is about the groin.

You will find two primary kinds of groin hernias — inguinal or femoral. The physical condition in each is identical, the title simply reflects the various location.

Inguinal hernias occur over the inguinal ligament, which forms the crease from the groin. Fundamental essentials most typical.

Femoral hernias form underneath the ligament once the digestive tract bulge in to the space where the bloodstream ships pass towards the leg in the abdomen.

But to your abdominal hernia. You the lump subsides whenever you lie back, which suggests the gap by which the intestine is sticking out is rather wide. Be confident this indicates there's less chance of the very most serious complication of hernias — strangulation.

Here, the items in the bulge, or hernial sac, are trapped, usually because of the sac twisting or rotating and reducing circulation.

CONTACT DR SCURR

To make contact with Dr Scurr having a health query, email him at A Healthy Body, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.united kingdom - including information.Dr Scurr cannot enter personal correspondence.His replies cannot affect individual cases and really should be used inside a general context.Always talk to your own GP with any health worries.

Your particulars are often a severe emergency, as with no way to obtain oxygen the items in the sac will end up gangrenous within hrs and also the digestive tract will end up blocked.

The effects are dire otherwise quickly relieved surgically.

It’s advisable to resolve a hernia inside a planned operation instead of an urgent situation procedure within the dead of evening or in the weekend.

The repair operation — that is under general anaesthetic — takes about twenty to thirty minutes.

However, any operation inside a guy of the age, even when in good condition, needs to be used seriously.

This requires balancing the potential risks from the benefits — on balance most Gps navigation and surgeons would recommend you proceed by having an operation.

There's little that you can do to slow any rise in how big the hernia: keeping in good physical shape to be able to keep the stomach muscles strong might help, as would slimming lower if you're overweight.

Something that increases pressure within the abdomen — a repetitive cough, or pushing with constipation — is undesirable.

Similarly, heavy-lifting makes matters worse. Best to place your title lower for surgery.

Incidentally... Smiling in a stranger will work for the two of you

In order to focus on Friday I contacted in the local filling station to top-up the vehicle. The garage operates with a family, is definitely open from before 6.30am, and try to an enjoyment to go to.

Why so? The entrepreneurs are charming and enjoyable: there's inevitably a short chat while having to pay there has not been a minute when I don't drive away smiling and feeling amused and content. Exactly what a perfect local happiness service they offer.

A vital principle of cognitive behavior treatments are that your feelings is determined in what you are looking at: Mood follows ideas

The truth is that that when i filled the tank I’d been feeling pretty irritated.

The morning was pitch dark, and that i were built with a heavy and pessimistic heart at the idea during the day ahead — a number of worryingly-ill patients to determine, and without doubt a tidal wave of emails and last-minute prescription demands prior to the weekend.

Yet after my acquisition of 60?litres of best diesel I drove towards the clinic feeling rather jolly: very little wrong really, eyes and legs working, brain still functioning. What exactly had triggered the atmosphere change?

The guy in the garage had triggered a cognitive change — a general change in my ideas I’d experienced psychotherapy on the run!

Cognitive behavior therapy is a kind of psychiatric therapy. It's best for dealing with disordered feelings, and combined with good effect in treating depression and anxiety.

It first emerged two decades ago, representing a change in the older types of psychiatric therapy, where typically you’d visit a counselor between one and five occasions per week over several weeks or perhaps years.

A training course of psychotherapy by comparison might contain eight or 12 one-hour periods.

A vital principle from the strategy is that your feelings is determined in what you are looking at: mood follows ideas.

Thus, low mood could be moved by training people from recurrent negative thought designs for example ‘I’ve been bad at?.?.?.?’ or ‘everyone thinks I’m useless’.

It requires some time as well as honesty between patient and counselor — however it works. And that’s what my garage does, although unintentionally.

So why wouldn't you attempt to cultivate a spirit of delightfulness?

You'll feel good — and you'll have exactly the same impact on others.