What Is Motor tic?

Tics are undesired, abnormal spastic movements or vocalizations. These vocalizations or movements are generally involuntary, repetitive, and not following a rhythm. In a chronic motor or vocal tic disorder, a person experiences one or more occurrence of either verbal or motor tics, but not both, for more than one year.

Tics usually start before the age of 18. The onset is usually between the ages of 4 to 6. Boys have double the rate of tics than girls. There is a premonitory urge before the tics which is an uncomfortable, strong, and uncontrollable urge to move. The tension is released once the tic has occurred. However, not everyone with vocal or motor tic experiences these urges.

What Are The Symptoms Of Motor tic?

Tics can be either complex or simple.

• Simple motor tics last for milliseconds. E.g., facial grimaces, eye blinking, repetitive touching, rapid and repetitive shoulder shrugging etc.
• Complex tics may include a combination of simple tics and last for a few seconds. Some examples of complex tics are eye blinking and simultaneous head turning.

What Are The Causes Of Motor tic?

• Presence of tics and their severity is believed to be dependent on genetics. Tic disorders may run in families
• Environmental factors like maternal smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight can also be responsible for the tics.
• Lack of sleep, stress, and anxiety can increase the symptoms.
• Some medicines like Dexedrine, Ritalin, Adderall, or Tegretol may also cause tics.
• Streptococcal infections have also been associated with tics.

What Are The Things One Should Do To Manage Motor tic?

• Relax and meditate as they help in reducing the frequency of tics.
• Go for cognitive behavioral therapy, which is helpful in minimizing the tics and also the stress felt by the patient.
• In CBT, habit reversal training can help a person identify the triggers and control the tics.

What Are The Things One Should Avoid To Manage Motor tic?

• Do not tease the person suffering from tics as this leads to stress and increased frequency of tics.
• Don’t rush for a treatment if the tic is minor and transient. It will go off on its own with the passage of time.

What Are The Best Foods For Motor tic?

A healthy diet can reduce the tic triggers. When the central nervous system is not working properly, the tics are triggered. Hence, in order to reduce the frequency and severity of tics, it is important to keep your immune system strong. Following foods are recommended for people suffering from tics:

• Take magnesium-rich foods like chard, spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, banana, avocado, and figs.
• Take vitamin B rich foods like seafood, poultry, bananas, green leafy vegetables, potatoes and fortified cereals.

What Are The Worst Foods For Motor tic?

• Limit foods like dairy and wheat as they increase tics.
• Artificial sweeteners, highly processed foods, and carbonated drinks.
• Avoid foods which lower the immunity, like alcohol, fast foods etc.

What Are The Medicines For Motor tic?

What Are The Tips To Manage Motor tic?