Homeopathy Treatment for Tics
Tics/Tic disorders
Tics are sudden, painless, nonrhythmic behaviors that are either motor (related to movement) or vocal and that appear out of context.
A tic is an involuntary body movement or vocal sound that is made repeatedly, rapidly, and suddenly. Sudden rapid, recurring muscle contraction — usually a blink, sniff, twitch, or shrug — always brief, irresistible, and localized. Frequency decreases from head to foot. The repetitive involuntary movements and sounds have been described as caricatures of normal physical acts.
Unlike a spasm, a cramp, or the movements of chorea or epilepsy, it does not interfere with other movement and can be held off for a time.
Tics most often occur in children, but may last into adulthood in some cases. Tics occur three to four times as often in boys as girls. Tics may affect as many as one-fourth of all children at some time.
Tourette syndrome (TS) is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical (motor) Tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic; these Tics characteristically wax and wane. Tourette’s is defined as part of a spectrum of tic disorders, which includes transient and chronic Tics.
Book an Appointment
Causes
The exact cause of Tics is unknown but a genetic predisposition is seen in the patients. Stress and other psychological conditions are known to trigger the condition.
Symptoms
Repeated, uncontrolled spasm-like muscle movements, such as:-
- Blinking
- Clenching the fists
- Curling the toes
- Flaring the nostrils
- Grimacing
- Jerking the arms
- Kicking
- Opening the mouth
- Raising the eyebrows
- Shrugging the shoulders
- Sticking out the tongue
- Repeated throat clearing or grunting
The other sounds may include the following:-
- Clicking
- Hissing
- Moaning
- Sniffing
- Snorting
- Squealing
Tics, on rare occasions, can be long-lasting and involve more complex movements such as jumping, arm thrusting or incessant touching.
Diagnosis
No objective testing is available to confirm the diagnosis of Tics; a careful history confirming classical tic characterisTics should assist in making the diagnosis. If patients do not exhibit Tics during an office examination, obtaining a video of the movements can provide essential diagnostic information.
Children with sniffling, throat-clearing, and eye-blinking Tics are frequently misdiagnosed with allergies or visual problems. Compulsions, manifestations of an OCD, may be mistakenly assumed to be Tics.
Treatment of Tics
Tics can be a very frustrating problem to deal with. They are not only annoying, but they can also lead to social concerns and start to affect other aspects of life.
A holistic approach which addresses not only the Tics themselves but the individual in his or her social, educational, and family context is always the best approach. This is what is done in homeopathy.
By getting to the root of where the Tics stems from, be it anxiety, stress, social anxiety, fear or any other psychological condition can help the treatment of Tics. The root cause is usually overlooked by allopathic physicians wherein the root cause is given the maximum importance in prescribing a homeopathic medicine.
Conventional treatments for Tics include prescription tranquilizers, anti-epileptic drugs, and antipsychotic medications, depending on the severity of the problem. Some practitioners inject botulinum toxin into the area surrounding the tic. All of these methods have potential adverse side effects, such as drowsiness, nausea, and stomach upset.
In contrast homeopathic medicines support the nervous system and brain to reduce involuntary muscle spasms, without harmful side effects.
How homeopathy helps in treating Tics
- Homeopathic medicines aids in the absorption of minerals in the body. This helps in soothing the nervous system and relieving muscle spasms and fidgety movements, especially those related to exhaustion and stress
- Homeopathic medicines help in relieving the stress and restlessness which are the root causes of Tics.
- Many homeopathic medicines have anti-spasmodic properties. Thus they soothe the nervous irritation.
- Homeopathic medicines improve the blood supply of the area affected by Tics thus soothing the area and decreasing the frequency of Tics
Diet
Increasing intake of folic acid and the B vitamins, eating foods high in zinc and magnesium, eliminating caffeine from the diet, and avoiding artificial sweeteners, colors are effective in treating the patients having Tics.