Benign Fasciculation Syndrome
Fasciculation is nothing but an involuntary twitching and contractions of groups of muscle fibers. It can be occurred without any associated disease or condition and can occur as a result of disease such as metabolism imbalances, nerve diseases and muscle cramps.
Fasciculation and ALS
However, ALS and BFS are two different illnesses with same symptoms.
BFS that is also known as muscle fasciculation syndrome, fasciculation syndrome and benign fasciculation and is a disorder of the nervous system. It is distinguished by the uncontrolled fasciculation (twitching) of muscle groups in various parts of the body. However, there may or may not be connection with muscle cramps.
Mostly it occurs in the muscles of legs, face and arms and can also occur in any voluntary muscles. However, it does not lead to more severe neurological disorder. The fasciculation may be localized and may be irregular or continuous that the people sometimes unable to know that they are having this condition.
However, the twitching of the muscle is very much similar to that seen in other serious neurological disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als) and motor neuron disease. Fasciculation is the feature that founds in both BFS and ALS. Diagnosis of BFS is possible after or usually made after the neurological examination.
Yet there is no any exact reason found behind the BFS but it may be connected to several factors such as exercise, acute vital illness, drugs or anxiety. According to some authorities, insecticides are also responsible for muscular fasciculation.
Symptoms of Benign Fasciculation syndrome:
This is the condition, which stands for the hyper-excitability of the neuromuscular system. BFS shows common symptoms such as twitching of muscles, pin and needless sensation, generalized fatigue, muscle cramping, migrating numbness, muscle aches, itchiness, headaches, stiffness exercise intolerance and the spasm in the affected areas such as arms and legs.
Some patient may experience increase in creatine kinase. There are some mild neurogenic changes due to muscle biopsy. According to the electrodiagnostic studies, there may be also a peripheral nerve hyperexcitability.
The condition also shows other symptoms such as bilateral shake in the muscle of arms, legs, head and trunk; voice tremor or shaking voice and difficulty in writing. The problem in writing may happen because of a neurological disorder known as Dysqraphia. Many people get success to improve their writing but in some people it persists.
The symptoms may get worse at night and when there is viral infection, overexertion, stress, sickness. Most of people with these experience scare about having ALS or MS.
The symptoms may stay at least for month to many years and in some cases it stops completely. Come and go of the disease depends on the periods of increased twitching and the reduction of periods where the symptoms get mild but still present. In some cases this reduction period may get longer time experiencing fewer symptoms.
It is diagnosed by testing the reflexes, administer an EMG and strength tests. However, some cases require blood test and muscle tissue biopsy. But there is no any cure for BFS yet.
