Hand or foot spasms

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Muscular atrophy

Overview

Treatment

Hand or foot spasms

Definition:

Spasms are contractions of the hands, thumbs, feet, or toes that are sometimes seen with muscle cramps, twitching, and convulsions (tetany). They can be severe and painful.

Alternative Names:

Foot spasms; Carpopedal spasm; Spasms of the hands or feet

Considerations:

Spasms of the hands or feet may be an important early sign of tetany, a potentially life-threatening condition. Tetany is a manifestation of an abnormality in calcium level, which can be linked to the following:

Lack of vitamin D
Lessened function of the parathyroid glands (hypoparathyroidism)
Alkalosis in the body
Ingestion of alkaline salts

These spasms are usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

Numbness, tingling, or a "pins-and-needles" feeling
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Cramping
Twitching
Uncontrolled, purposeless, rapid motions

Common Causes:

Muscle cramps, usually caused by sports or occupational muscle injury
Parkinson's disease and other neuromuscular conditions
Hypocalcemia
- Causes diffuse, recurrent, or severe muscle cramping
- Severe hypocalcemia can produce convulsions.
Hyperventilation -- calcium becomes temporarily unavailable to the body during hyperventilation
Damage to a single nerve or nerve group (mononeuropathy) or multiple nerves (polyneuropathy)
Multiple sclerosis
Various medications

Review Date: 8/16/2004
Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, M.D., Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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