clonus

[ghost39]

I have RRMS. My left foot appears to look like my toes are shaking, apparently because I have clonus in my ankle. What is that and can it lead to further problems?

[ghost39]

Thank you JJ, I appreciate your time. I will try doing what you do lol, again thanks :)

[supermum_ms]

Hi there,

"Clonus, also called clonospasm, is the medical term for repetitive, involuntary muscular contractions due to sudden stretching. It most commonly affects the ankles. Clonus takes its name from a Greek word meaning "tumult" and is often a symptom of neurological disorder.

When caused by neurological problems, clonus is most often associated with lesions on the upper motor neurons connecting the cerebral cortex or brain stem to the spinal cord. Such lesions can be caused by a variety of neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and hepatic encephalopathy caused by liver failure. The condition can also be brought on by an adverse reaction to serotonergic drugs in so-called serotonin syndrome. A large variety of drugs can contribute to serotonin syndrome, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and other antidepressants, opiates such as oxycodone, psychedelics like methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), stimulants including cocaine, and even therapeutic herbs including Panax, ginseng, and St. John's Wort.

Mild clonus is not unusual even in healthy people. It is considered abnormal only if it is sustained for over five contractions. It is usually initiated by reflex actions. It can be tested by flexing the ankle or the wrist, or by pressing the patella, or kneecap, towards the toes.

Clonus often occurs on only one side of the body. It is associated with nerve damage to the area of the spinal cord above the place where it is initiated."

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-clonus.htm

The clonus itself often doesn't usually lead to further problems, but if the cause is due to spinal cord lesion, its basically the spinal cord lesions that has a list of commonly connected issues eg bladder-bowel-sexual dysfunction etc though it really depends on where the lesion(s) are specifically located to what  issues you might end up with.

I've had left side ankle clonus for a few years and when ever I bend my ankle eg high heels lol rare now, reaching up on tippy toes, sitting with only my toes touching the floor because i'm short lol, doing my string puppet walking etc It causes a repetitive tremor, so I bounce and bounce until i can straighten the angle of my foot, its' not always that simple to stop but it's trigger is how the foot is angled.  

Cheers..........JJ

ps there are much better explanations available but it was on hand and gives you the basics of clonus.