Causes Of Throbbing Or Pulsing Sensation In Arms Or Legs | Cardiovascular Disorders and Diseases medical answers | Body & Health Conditions center

I had a patient who came to the clinic one day feeling very worried, and asked me the same question — "I feel throbbing and pulsing in my thigh! What is wrong with me?"

I had known this patient for a few years already. He was a healthy young adult with no significant past medical history.

I examined the patient; the first thing I wanted to know is what was causing the throbbing sensation, a vessel or a muscle.

Even though you might think the pulsation must come from a vessel, sometimes muscle twitches can mimic this sensation.

My patient's vibrations were from a vascular origin, and that's why I am going to start with some useful info about this kind of throbbing sensation before talking about muscle twitching.

Throbbing sensations with a vascular origin

A vein can produce a throbbing or pulsing sensation in the arms or legs because of the increased blood flow to a particular area due to physical activity. This can happen to you when you jog in the morning, after intense bodybuilding exercise, or following any other physical activity. When somebody tackles you during a football game and causes physical trauma to your leg, the swelling can push on the vessels and this can produce a throbbing sensation. A trauma can also produce an abnormal communication between an artery and vein - this is called an AV fistula.

In most cases, throbbing sensations with a vascular origin are not a reason to worry. You may visit a general practitioner who will probably examine the blood flow and may even order a test to look at your vessels.

In rare cases, the cause of the throbbing could also be an aneurysm which produces a wide pulsatile area. Aneurysms are bulges within a vein, which are often treated surgically.

It is useful to know that common conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, blood clots or peripheral artery disease usually do NOT present with throbbing sensation but usually present with pain and swelling.

Throbbing caused by muscle twitching

Turn off the lights, sit on a chair and use a direct light from a lamp and try to make the light beam horizontal so you can see the throbbing area clearly.

If you see tiny twitches, you should know that your throbbing sensation is produced by your muscles.

Conditions that can cause muscle twitching

Although muscle twitches are often idiopathic (meaning no cause can be identified) or as a result of muscle hyperactivity or hyperexcitability because you had too much coffee or you had a heavy exercise session earlier, muscle twitches can also be a symptom of serious medical conditions. They include:

A vitamin B12 deficiency. This is found especially in alcoholics or vegetarians. Muscle twitching is not an early symptom, as a vitamin B12 deficiency presents with anemia and decreased or altered sensation in earlier stages.
Multiple Sclerosis. Usually presents with pain behind one eye. Muscle twitching is a common symptom.

Herpes infection and Amyotophic Lateral Sclerosis are also both known to cause muscle twitches.

It is advisable to see a neurologist for further evaluation, unless you are aware that your symptoms were probably caused by excessively intense exercise or too much caffeine. After you discuss your symptoms, the neurologist is most likely to order an MRI scan and a set of blood tests to discover the underlying cause of the throbbing sensation in your muscles.