Twitching and body building....

[rose]

There have been some posts here on various threads about a possible relationship with twitching and bodybuilding. It seems reasonable there is a connection. It makes sense that stress of specific muscle groups could have this effect, as it is established that emotional stress increases twitching in those that suffer from benign fasciculation syndrome.

My guy has always worked out, lifted weights etc. He is by no means a bodybuilder, more like a gym rat, who's faithfulness to the gym waxes and wanes, but it has been a lifelong regime. He, being a middle aged man (although I tell him he's an old man all the time LOL) has rotator cuff problems. A minimal tear that he's been going to physical therapy for rather than choosing surgery. He's been feeling better, and has started lifting again after a few months of pretty much no lifting.

He twitches. Just around that area, his arm and shoulder. At first when I felt it (laying up against him at night) I thought it was me, because a lot of the time I'm not conscious of my own twitches unless whatever part of my body that is twitching touches something else, and I thought; "Oh s%*t, now my neck and shoulder are doing this?"

Then I realized it wasn't me, but him and I had momentary panic set it. My mind started to race, thoughts about how he was weaker in that shoulder, and weakness precedes fasciculations..... and then WHOA! GET A GRIP! The man was weaker because he was injured. He had the tears in his shoulder confirmed by MRI, and he also has a history of pinched nerves in the cervical region. Thankfully I was able to listen to my little voice of reason instead of going with my first panicky instinct, which was to shake him awake and scream "You're twitching! We're all going to die!" (Which we all indeed are, but not all of us from ALS).

The more I think about it, the more I realize how typical it is for us as humans to immediately think our problems are due to the most dire reasons possible.

I know there is debate as to how rare ALS truly is, but I do know that it should never be the first thought one turns to when they have some symptoms that are associated with this awful disease. :smile:

 

[Blizna]

About connection about twitching and bodybuilding - I have read study in my own language that states that people with better musculature often gets more twitching.

About your guys shoulder - I have twitches all over, but I have problems with my right shoulder and Im twitching here more. I suspected pinched nerve (my arm feels "nervous"), I guess with ALS I would have different problems like stiffness, weakness etc. - but the main problem is sometimes almost painful tendons cracking while use strenght with this shoulder.

 

[rose]

Blizna, the crackling feeling could very well be due to inflammed bursa. I recently had my own rotator cuff problems, and the popping crackling sound was loud enough for me and others to hear. This was a sudden onset, and I could barely move my arm, it was useless. I've noticed this shoulder has been weaker since June, so I was afraid that my shoulder could somehow be moving in and out of socket, because that was how it would feel, it would lurch and make a popping sound when I moved it. I'd go look in the mirror at it, and there was no deformity, so I knew it couldn't really be doing that, but it was the sensation. (I kept thinking about that Clint Eastwood movie where he yanks his own dislocated shoulder back into place ) I went to an orthopedic doctor who assured me that the popping crackling sound was the bursa gel gunk being shifted around (it did it for him while he as examining me). They did take an X-ray, which confirmed my shoulder was in alignment, but it was still hard to believe that what I was feeling and hearing was just this bursa. I got a cortisone shot in it, and its almost fine now as far as pain, it has been just about a week now. Its still weak, but no weaker feeling than before it happened.

 

[Blizna]

I have done X-ray without result - they told me its fine, nothing is wrong. Im affraid a bit if it has anything to do with possible ALS..as I said, I twitch here often..

 

[rose]

My X-ray was normal, but the crackling popping could be heard by anyone examining me. So, your X-ray would be fine, it does not show the bursa or inflammation, nor will it show any tendons. They were very specific with me about this, due to my illness and concerns if there were a connection. Muscle loss could possibly be detected, but it would not be an exact enough diagnositic. Have you had an mri on your shoulder? That will reveal a lot.

 

[Blizna]

No MRI done. Just x-ray. They couldnt see anything unusal, I guess if there was some atrophy, they would have seen it during the examination.
Its not painful, its just strange feeling. In your case it was due to this **** illness?

 

[rose]

Blizna, They really can't say why I hurt it. (and I don't know how I did it, what action caused it) I did not have an MRI, so no one could see my tendons or have any reliable image of my muscles. I was told if I had weakness in any of the muscles that make up the rotator cuff, that it could cause an imbalance and make me subject to easy injury. I was told it was called an impinged rotator cuff. I would never have believed that the popping sensation ~ and sound, no less, was caused by this bursa fluid, but it was.

Why don't you get with a doctor that can arrange for you to have an MRI? It will give a clear picture of soft tissues and show the tendons and muscles in detail....

 

[Blizna]

I havent done MRI because my doctor told me if its not painful and doesnt limit my movement, cracking itself is not reason for further examination.
May I ask how weakness in shoulder present? I cant imagine..Thanks

 

[rose]

Blizna, the weakness in my shoulder came as a surprise, it wasn't like I was checking out how strong it was. I am a flight attendant by occupation, and during my annual FAA proficiency qualification re-certification. I found I could not open/close the various aircraft doors like I'd always been able to before, I was struggling with one type in particular that had to be raised (in manual mode, always automatic in real life flying) like an overhead garage door lifts up and down. The training facility had not been changed or revamped for about 8 years, so I knew it was me, not the door that was different. I also notice it when turning over in bed at night, when I lift up on it. It is still fairly subtle, and had not really impacted my everyday life until I hurt it.

I had only noticed weakness within my bulbar area up to that time.

 

[Ervd]

i agree i am twitching like mad after some physical effort