Most women experience electric shock feelings throughout their life, either superficially on the skin or in deeper tissues. Some women, however, report electric-like jabs specifically in the muscles, raising questions about what could be possibly causing these unpleasant symptoms.
Keep on reading to discover possible causes of and numerous solutions to handle electric shock feeling in the muscles for ultimate relief.
Causes of Electric Shock Feeling in the Muscles
Medical Conditions
- Infections: Shingles, Lyme disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Autoimmune: Guillain-Barre syndrome, lupus, celiac disease
- Neurological: Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Endocrine: Hormonal imbalance, diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney disease
- Other: Fibromyalgia, arachnoiditis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
In most cases, an electric shock feeling in the muscles is caused by peripheral neuropathy, damage to the sensory and motor nerves, and can result from the following:1, 2
Disc compression due to strenuous sports, injury, or tumors
Vitamin imbalance: B1, B12, B6, and E
Alcohol abuse or smoking
Toxic exposure: Heavy metals, agent orange
Medication side effects: Chemotherapy drugs, anti-depressants, anxiolytics
Chronic medical conditions
Solutions for Electric Shock Feeling in the Muscles
Regardless of the cause, there are a number of steps a woman can take to find ultimate solutions for electric shocks in the muscles, including the following:
Resolve nutritional deficiencies
Proper nutrition can prevent muscle spasms that feel like electric shocks. While adequate amounts can be found in foods, like fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains, nutritional supplements may be better for more significant deficiencies.
Balance hormones
If an electric shock feeling in the muscles have hormonal roots, it is worth considering alternative medicine options, such as phytoestrogenic supplements, like black cohosh or red clover, or hormone-balancing supplements, like Macafem.
Stay physically active
Sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity and many musculoskeletal problems, like muscle spasms that feel like electric shocks. Yoga classes, long walks in the park, or bike riding are all good ways to stay active and reduce electric-like shocks.
Quit smoking and alcohol
Both cigarettes and alcohol can lead to damage of the peripheral nerves and disc degeneration, resulting in electric shock feeling in muscles.3,4 Yet, finding help and improving one's life is possible through one's doctor or free addiction helplines.
Review current medications
Some women suffer from muscle electric shocks as side effects of certain drugs, while others might experience them after their discontinuation. It's worth asking a doctor for alternatives in order to stay healthy and live a symptom-free life.
Manage chronic illnesses
Even if a certain medical condition that causes muscle electric shocks cannot be cured, there are many ways to manage it more effectively and lessen its impact on one's health, such as controlling blood sugar levels or balancing thyroid hormones.
Conclusions
As one of the strangest discomforts in a woman's life, electric-like shocks can cause a great deal of worry. While they generally do not impair women's daily activities, severe cases of electric shock feelings in the muscles require more invasive pharmacological treatments, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Because such treatments come with serious side effects, a good understanding of the nature of electric shock sensation and other available treatment options, like lifestyle changes and alternative medicine, is a must for making the best choices about one's health and enjoying life to the fullest.
Sources
- American Family Physician. (2006). Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0801/p449.html
- BMJ. (2005). Bottled lightning. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1246084/
- Case Reports in Neurological Medicine. (2015). Lhermitte Sign as a Presenting Symptom of Thoracic Spinal Pathology: A Case Study. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4538963/
- ClinMed International Library. (n.d.). Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/jfmdp/jfmdp-3-057table2.html
- Current Neuropharmacology. (2006). Painful Peripheral Neuropathies. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430688/
- Parkinson's Disease. (2016). Classification and Characteristics of Pain Associated with Parkinson's Disease. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5069361/
- The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. (n.d.). Nutritional and Vitamin Deficiency Neuropathy. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.foundationforpn.org/what-is-peripheral-neuropathy/causes/vitamin-nutrition-deficiency/
- World Journal of Diabetes. (2015). Diabetic neuropathic pain: Physiopathology and treatment. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398900/
Footnotes:
- Mayo Clinic. (2019). Peripheral neuropathy. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2019). Peripheral Neuropathy Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Peripheral-Neuropathy-Fact-Sheet
- PLOS. (2015). Effects of Tobacco Smoking on the Degeneration of the Intervertebral Disc: A Finite Element Study. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4547737/
- The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. (n.d.). Alcohol. Retrieved October 28, 2019 from https://www.foundationforpn.org/what-is-peripheral-neuropathy/causes/alcohol/