BOTTOM LIP TWITCHING LIKE CRAZY. SYNKINESIS OR NERVE RECOVERY?

[CROOKEDSMILE]

I can watch in the mirror and see my bottom lip go up and down, twitching. I am resting not purposefully making any movements. How do I know if this is synkinesis or typical nerve recovery that people describe ..."twitching" as normal part of healing? I'm 1 year out and started getting movement at 5 months but just this week this twitch thing started in my lower lip which is very weak. What do you think this is?

[1wareagle]

Crookedsmile,

I don't have movement in my bottom lip yet but my eye has started to close. Last night I noticed my eye twitching under it. Maybe you are beginning to start getting movement in your bottom lip since it is twitching. 

Ellis

[Micky]

Hey Crookedsmile,

(My experience only) was when I was recovering, had very little movement or twitching but in the very late stages of recovery I began to have twitching in my lips and cheek, very little at first and at random times throughout the day, this was my final part of the recovery, I almost got full movement back about a month after the twitching started

All the best 

[Chambo]

I would say nerve recovery too, from my experience.

Now 2 years post op, i thought my eyelid was back to 100% but recently it has been twitching heaps and now it looks even stronger. Same with my top lip. It's my bottom lip and forehead that need more twitches!

For me the twitching started in the corner of my mouth, then beside the nose (the rabbit twitch).

I think this is all positive news...!

[MAlegant]

Hi,
I'm having twitching as well and like you I hope it's recovery and not synkinesis.  Mine happens when I smile, which is often, and singing. I'm a classically trained singer, and though it's not my day job, it is my great joy. I decided not to sing for a while (just humming) to allow things to recover as they need to.  I refuse to stop smiling. See picture above.
Good luck,
Marci

[LADavid]

Hi Angie
The twitching sounds like a good thing.  From my experience, synkinesis is when one face movement causes another unnatural face movement.  For example, when I eat or drink, the muscles around my eye and in my neck think they should be helping out with the eating.  I am now in PT retraining those nerves and muscles to act naturally.  Twitching is a sign that the nerves are starting to communicate with the muscles -- a good thing.  I got twithes at about three months.  Then as I developed synkinesis at four months, the movement stopped leaving my face partially frozen where it had stopped developing.  I think you're in good shape.  It doesn't sound at all like synkinesis.

David

[saralynn143]

Hey Angie

Kinda ironic, isn't it, that twitching is a good thing for us now?

Sara

[mimoore]

Yipppeee Crookedsmile - It does happen - I believe it is a good thing!!!!!!!!
Keep us posted this is so exciting! I love good news.
Michelle

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

Sounds to me like a nerve is firing up its ole engine...

I'll pray for movement to follow...

DHM

[scb]

Hello all!  I am 12 years Post Op and still have facial muscle issues with twitching and synkinesis activitiy.  Although I will never have full facial muscle movement as I did before surgery, I have over the years, recovered about 75% of muscle movement which has been a slow but consistent recovery process.  Just recently I have had a lot of twitching on the right side of my nose area.  I will say that the twitching does sometimes offer the beginning of additional muscle activity...then sometimes it is just twitching with not much more activity to follow.  I would encourage you to do daily facial exercises & give yourself facial massages when you can....scb 

[LADavid]

I totally concur with SCB on the facial massages.  Nine months post -op and after five months of synkinesis, I saw a little improvement.  I believe it came about due to a PT session.  I had an unltrasound done on my face followed by a tough facial massage.  A few things started to loosen up.

[mimoore]

Does massage help muscle spasms? When I wash my face with a wash cloth somethimes I get a muscle spasm.
Michelle 

[LADavid]

Hi Michelle,
I'm not sure than warm compresses help normal movement, but I do know that my PT recommended it to help my synkinesis relax.  I don't think it should hurt to use warm compresses.  I also think that someone else (Lori? Anne Marie?) said they use them as well.

David