Involuntary head twitching may range from neck spasms to uncontrolled tremors. Causes may include several movement disorders, such as Tourette syndrome and Parkinson’s disease.

Involuntary head movements are often known as:

Involuntary movements are unintended and uncontrolled movements that fall into the category of movement disorders. Keep reading to learn about the causes and treatments for involuntary head twitching.

Involuntary head twitching can be due to several different movement disorders, ranging from neck spasms to Parkinson’s disease.

The common types of movement disorders that affect the head, neck, and face include:

  • Essential tremor: Essential tremor is a brain disorder that causes
  • Cervical dystonia: This condition causes intermittent contractions (spasms) of the neck muscles, resulting in the neck turning in different ways.
  • trembling or shaking that worsens when you attempt basic movements.
  • Huntington’s disease: This condition is an inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Huntington’s disease may cause unintended and uncontrolled movements as brain cells gradually break down.
  • Multiple system atrophy: Multiple system atrophy is a rare progressive neurological disorder that causes movement disorders such as parkinsonism — a group of conditions that have symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
  • Myoclonus: Myoclonus is a sudden muscle spasm that causes very quick jerks of a single muscle or group of muscles.
  • Parkinson’s disease: Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes tremors, among other things.
  • Tardive dyskinesia: This is a side effect of long-term use of neuroleptic drugs. These drugs typically treat psychiatric conditions. Tardive dyskinesia can cause involuntary movements such as grimacing and blinking.
  • Tourette syndrome: Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition associated with motor tics (repetitive movements) and vocal tics (vocal sounds).

If you’re experiencing any involuntary head twitching, it’s best to make an appointment with a doctor. They can evaluate you and set up a treatment plan based on the root cause of your head twitching.

For treating chorea:

Treatment for chorea typically involves neuroleptics such as:

Doctors may also use other types of medications to treat chorea, including tetrabenazine (Xenazine) and benzodiazepines such as clonazepam (Klonopin).

For treating dystonia:

Treatment for dystonia often involves Botox injections to block communication between the nerve and muscle.

For treating essential tremors:

Treatment for essential tremors may involve:

For treating myoclonus:

To treat myoclonus, doctors often prescribe:

For treating tardive dyskinesia:

Treatment for this condition often involves:

  • valbenazine (Ingrezza)
  • deutetrabenazine (Austedo)

For treating Tourette syndrome:

If this presents mildly, you may not require any treatment. However, there are several treatments if necessary. These include:

Surgery and other options

Surgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), may also successfully treat involuntary head movements caused by certain conditions. DBS involves implanting tiny electrodes in the brain.

Sometimes, surgery such as the selective removal of targeted nerves — anterior cervical rhizotomy or selective peripheral denervation — is recommended to treat unintended or uncontrolled head movements.

Each condition is different, so their treatments will be, too. Work with your doctor to find the proper medications and lifestyle adjustments for you.

Anxiety can also cause muscle twitches and spasms. Typically, anxiety causes stress, and that stress can put tension on muscles and nerves. That can disrupt body signals, which causes certain muscles to react with involuntary movement.

Anxiety-induced stress can also stimulate adrenaline production, which can cause certain muscles to move involuntarily.

So, while anxiety can trigger involuntary muscle movement, involuntary muscle movement can also trigger anxiety.

Since involuntary muscle movement is often associated with serious neurological conditions, any involuntary muscle movement can trigger fear. That fear can increase anxiety, which, in turn, can trigger involuntary muscle movement.

Head twitching isn’t considered a life threatening symptom, but it can negatively affect your quality of life.

With a proper diagnosis, your doctor can help you find the right treatment for your condition. Some of these conditions currently don’t have cures, but there are ways to manage head twitching, and your doctor can work with you on ways to help slow the progression.