Hand or foot spasms

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Muscular atrophy

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

If vitamin D deficiency is the cause, supplemental vitamin D should be taken under the doctor's direction. Calcium supplements may also help.

There are stretching exercises you can do. These stretches will help keep your muscles from getting shorter or tighter.

Being active will also help keep your muscles loose. Aerobic exercise, especially swimming, and strength building exercises are both helpful. Playing games and sports and doing daily tasks may also help, but can also make matters worse if done to excess.

Drinking plenty of fluids during exercise is also important.

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If you notice recurrent spasms of your hands or feet, call your health care provider.

Your provider will obtain your medical history and will perform a physical examination. Laboratory testing of blood and urine may also be done.

Medical history questions documenting hand or foot spasms in detail may include the following:

• Do the spasms appear to be involuntary or purposeless?
• Are they prolonged?
• At what age did the spasms first appear?
• Does the presence of spasms seem variable over weeks to months?
• Do spasms occur repeatedly (recurrent)?
• Do several spasms occur in a row (repetitive)?
• Are the spasms slow or rapid?
• Can the spasms be voluntarily suppressed?
• How long have you had spasms?
• Is it worse when you exercise?
• How much calcium-containing food do you eat (such as milk products)?
• What have you done to try to treat the spasms? How effective was it?
• What other symptoms do you have?
  • Do you have numbness or a "pins and needles" feeling?
  • Do you have muscle weakness?
  • Do you have fatigue?
  • Do you have muscle cramps elsewhere?
  • Do you have seizures?

Tests may include the following:

• Blood tests to measure magnesium and calcium levels
• Hormone levels
• Kidney function tests
• Vitamin D levels (25-OH vitamin D)

Review Date: 03/22/2010
Reviewed By: Daniel C. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).