Muscle Twitching Tests

In order to determine to the main cause of your muscle twitching or fasciculation, your neurologist would suggest that you undergo a series of tests to summarized below:


1. Elecrolyte Imbalance

Loss of electrolytes in the blood can lead to muscle twitching. Electrolytes include magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium. If you have experienced LBM, lack of intake of these electrolytes or dehydration, then this could possibly be the cause of your fasciculations. A small amount of blood is taken through a syringe and results are available in a few hours.


2. EMG NCV

EMG means electromyography while NCV stands for nerve conduction velocity. This is a test of any nerve injuries that may have happened if the muscle twitching were caused by Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). EMG NCV would include testing your muscles in your arms and legs where muscle twitching may have occured by exerting pressure or force and a minimal (harmless) volt of electricity to determine if there have been changes in the timing of reaction of your nerves that would be indicative of a damage.


3. Physical Tests

These are just routine tests conducted by the doctor to determine if you have abnormalities in your muscle reflexes, muscle weaknesses etc.


4. Testing for Spinal and Brain Tests

Any injury in the brain or spine can also lead to fasciculations. CT scans may be done in order to detect this kind of problem but your neurologist may suggest other forms of examination. This would be done if you have gone so far and the cause is still to be known.


So far, these are the common examinations done to patients experiencing muscle twitching. If you have proved to be normal based on the tests you have undergone, then there is nothing to worry about as fasciculations can often be caused by pressure or stress or you may have Benign Faciculation Syndrome (BFS) which is harmless.