Uncontrollable Movements
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
Reviewed By:
Bret Mobley, MD, MS (Neuropathology)
Dr. Mobley graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, completing a masters degree in neuroscience between his second and third years of medical school. He trained as a resident in pathology at Stanford University Hospital before joining the faculty of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee in 2010. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and to Neuropathology Division Director in 2020.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Uncontrolled movements
Slow twitching of arms and legs
Twitching in one side of the body
Involuntary movements at night
Focal aware seizures
Fencing posturing
Complex partial seizures with focal onset and impaired awareness
Eyes keep opening and closing subconsciously
"Cycling" of the legs when I do not pay attention
Repetitive movements of the mouth
Involuntary movement of the lips
Involuntary movements
How Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Uncontrollable Movements quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Head shakes uncontrollably (involuntarily)
- Seizure with arm straightened and face turned to the same side e.g. left or right
- Uncontrollable movements that make me subconsciously walk or wander around
- Being conscious while your arms and legs are moving involuntarily
- Hand starts writing in mid-air if I focus on something else
- Involuntary slow muscle movements of arms and legs
- Involuntary movement in one side of the body
- Involuntary movement of muscles in the lips
- Hands and legs move a lot at night
- Body moves separately from consciousness
- Walking around because the arms and legs were moving out of control
- Legs move purposefully even though I didn't mean to
- Uncontrolled slow movements of arms and legs
- Being conscious while having seizures
- Eyes keep twitching subconsciously
See full list
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Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizAbout the Symptom
An involuntary movement is when your body moves in an uncontrolled way. These can include small jerking motions, tremors, or larger limb movements. They usually happen due to problems with the brain or spinal cord.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Uncontrollable movements
Possible Causes
Generally, Uncontrollable movements can be related to:
- Spiny Red Cell Chorea
Spiny red cell chorea, also known as chorea-acanthocytosis or Levine-Critchley syndrome, is a very rare neurological disorder characterized by high numbers of misshapen, spiny red blood cells (acanthocytes) circulating in the bloodstream, combined with rapid, involuntary, purposeless movements (chorea). Additional symptoms can include include seizures and odd behavior. The disorder is caused by a mutation on the VPS13A gene and runs in families.
- Sydenham Chorea
Sydenham chorea is a rare neurological disorder characterized by sudden onset abnormal movements that occur after infection with group A streptococcus bacteria. Most people are affected during childhood. Movements are random, continuous, and involuntary, sometimes affecting the entire body. The disease is thought to occur because antibodies against group A streptococcus cross-react with nerve cells in the basal ganglia, a structure in the brain that fine-tunes voluntary movements.
- Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia
Paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia (PED) is a movement disorder that is characterized by involuntary, irregular, unpredictable muscle movements triggered by exercise. People with PED appear as if they are dancing, restless, or fidgety. This disorder is caused by a mutation in the SLC2A1 gene.
- Parkinson's Disease
- Alcohol Dependence / Delirium Tremens
- Spasticity
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Uncontrollable movements may be related to these serious diseases:
- Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder where brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures of varying durations and severities. It can affect people of any age and may be caused by genetic disorders or brain injuries, such as stroke.
- Niemann-Pick Disease
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you have uncontrollable movements in your hands, legs, or face?
- How long have you had uncontrollable movements or spasms of hands, legs, or facial muscles?
- Have you experienced uncontrollable movements or spasms of hands, legs, or facial muscles before?
- How has the uncontrollable movements or spasms changed since it started?
- How much do your uncontrollable movements impact your daily activities?
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizFind Similar Symptoms
Similar symptoms or complaints
Symptoms from similar body parts
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
Reviewed By:
Bret Mobley, MD, MS (Neuropathology)
Dr. Mobley graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, completing a masters degree in neuroscience between his second and third years of medical school. He trained as a resident in pathology at Stanford University Hospital before joining the faculty of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee in 2010. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and to Neuropathology Division Director in 2020.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
What People Say about Ubie?
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My experience was great. I was worried, but the symptom checker helped me narrow down what it might be. I feel a little relieved compared to when I first started, and it gives me a starting point for what my symptoms could mean.
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The questions asked and possible causes seemed spot on, putting me at ease for a next-step solution.
(Sep 26, 2024)
Female, 40s
I was actually very impressed with the results it provided because, although I didn’t mention it during the questionnaire because I thought it was unrelated, it suggested I may have something I’ve actually been diagnosed with in the past.
(Sep 25, 2024)
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1