Clonus

Extended Muscle Pulsation is Common in the Wrist

Clonus is the name given to a neurological condition that occurs when nerve cells controlling the muscles are damaged. The damage leads to involuntary muscle contractions and relaxations. The contractions might last for a few seconds or minutes depending on the intensity of the condition.

The contractions and relaxations are commonly present in the ankle, jaw, biceps, wrist, knee and toe. When this happens the muscles throb for an extended period which eventually leads to muscle fatigue. This makes it difficult for the person to use the muscles for some activity later.

Causes

Researchers have not been able to pin-point the reason behind clonus, but theories point to the fact that it is due to damaged nerve passageways in the brain. There are other diseases or conditions that might exist as the triggering factor for the disease. Those include:

1.       Brain tumors that push against motor neurons or cause them to swell may lead to clonus

2.       Serotonin syndrome that occurs due to overloading of serotonin in the body which could be due to drug abuse or taking high doses of medications

3.       Meningitis or encephalitis (basically infections) that can damage brain cells or nerves when the disease severity shoots up

4.       Multiple sclerosis disturbs the protective covering around the nerves and damage that results affects the nerve signals in the brain

5.       Stroke affects one part of the brain depriving it of oxygen. It might cause clonus if the affected part is the one that monitors movement

6.       Major injuries that damage nerves of the brain or spinal cord, cerebral palsy, kidney/liver failure and drug overdose might cause clonus

Diagnosis

At the hospital/clinic the physician looks out for muscle contractions and when it occurs, he/she makes a note of the muscle pulsing rate and the number of times it pulses before stopping. The doctor physically examines the muscle areas that have been maximum affected and suggest a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis. Blood tests, MRI or physical tests are suggested. During a physical test the doctor asks the patient to flex his/her foot such that the toes point upwards and remain in the position for a while to check if the muscles stay in the position. This might cause pulsing in the ankle and repetitive pulsing is an indication of clonus. While a physical test alone cannot confirm the condition, it can assure the physician of moving in the right direction with the diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause of the problem and the physician might have to try a series of treatments before finding the one that works best for the person. Medications are immediately dispensed to reduce the intensity of the condition although these can have immediate side effects such as mental confusion, trouble walking and lightheadedness.

Physical therapy might be suggested in some cases where the therapist stretches or exercises the muscles to improve movement in the damaged area. Wrist and ankle splints can provide structure and improve stability.

Botox injections also work good on some patients. The injection is dispensed to paralyze the problem-causing muscle in an area. The effects wear away in a while and the procedure needs to be repeated to stay problem-free.

Surgery is taken as the last solution where the physician cuts the abnormal movement-causing nerve. People also try home remedies in the form of yoga and meditation, applying heat packs to relieve pain or applying cold packs to reduce muscle aches. Yoga and meditation have far more advantages to their kitty and for the complete list of the advantages please visit the website www.firsteatright.com.

If It is an injury/illness that has caused clonus the symptoms are likelier to disappear in course of time with effective treatment. When some other disease is the cause, it might continue for long-term and needs to be handled cautiously. It might also worsen when the underlying condition gets bad. It is essential stay in touch with the physician and get it treated.