Muscle spasm vs Muscle Twitch?

How do you tell the 2 apart? I can see my ligaments or muscle move up and down all over my body which you can see through the skin, which would it be? I'm scared that i might have Lou Gehrig disease in its early stages.

Yea these dont hurt so are they twitches?

Muscle spasms are usually much more intense and they have a considerable amount of pain to them. To get rid of a muscle spasm, the best thing to do is to lightly massage the muscle or muscles that hurt the most. Using a up and down motion with your hands, if you are able to get to them that is.

As for a muscle twitch, generally there isn't any pain to them. A finger or a toe might jump but that's about it.

As for you worrying if you have early stages of Lou Gehrig's disease, talk to you family phyiscian about this. Journal how often you experience your spasms and twiches and keep track of how long they last. This will help you and your doctor to determine and possibly rule out a few things that would cause this. It may be something simple yet it may be something serious. Have a serious chat with your doctor and your mind should be put to ease.

Good luck to you and I hope I was somewhat helpful. Hope you feel better soon!

I have a failed back and trust me when I tell you that if it was a spasm you would know. They hurt like hell.

I have horrible muscle spasms and have had to be medicated in the past for them. Massage has helped solve the problem for now.

If it is a spasm, your muscle will feel like it has balled itself up or like it is wrapped around something. Most of the time you can't use that muscle while the spasm is happening. When I have them in my legs, my legs involuntarily draw up and I can't stretch them back out. If I'm standing, I basically have to sit immediately or I will fall because I lose control of the muscles. It is VERY painful. I have woke myself up in the middle of the night by screaming from them.

A twitch is a small jerking motion in the muscle. It doesn't really hurt, and you can still use the muscle. It's just annoying.

It sounds like yours are twitches. If it happens often, see a doctor. But don't jump to conclusions like Lou Gehrig's yet. It could be a million other small things that are not anything to be worked up about.

Twitches
Muscle spasms are very painful

Oh, do spasms hurt!! You will be sore too.

Muscle spams are often referred to a constant state of contraction, whereas muscle twitches rapidly switch on and off...these are also called fasiculations. Many people can experience fasiculations on a fleeting basis and it is a benign condition. However, it they are persistent, and especially are accompanied by weakness or other symptoms, it may be time to follow up with your physician.