"Just when I thought I had a real handle on panic attacks (after all, I wrote a book on the topic), something new came to my attention. A number of people have recently mentioned that, during a panic attack, they experience severe hand and/or foot cramping. One individual actually described the phenomenon as feeling like her hands become "lobster claws" that she cannot unclench or straighten out."
"This recent reporting piqued my curiosity. Now, I was certainly aware that panic can cause muscle tightness, but I really hadn't heard of it being specific to the hands and feet. Enter "carpopedal spasms," described as "frequent and involuntary muscle contractions in the hands and feet," and "in some cases, the wrists and ankles." Commonly associated with panic and panic attacks, these spasms are, like other panic-related physical symptoms, frightening and confusing."
"Why It Happens The simplest explanation for carpopedal spasms is related to our breathing: When we are in a panicked state, we breathe faster, deeper, and heavier than we usually would. Medially classified as hyperventilation, this rapid, intense breathing can result in myriad uncomfortable physical sensations, including lightheadedness, weakness, chest pain, and, indeed, cramps and spasms in the feet and hands."
Carpopedal spasms are involuntary muscle contractions that commonly affect the hands and feet and can extend to wrists and ankles. Rapid, deep breathing during panic (hyperventilation) alters bodily states and produces symptoms such as lightheadedness, weakness, chest pain, and muscle cramps. Panic triggers a generalized bodily tightening and constriction that can manifest as gripping, cramping sensations in distal extremities. These spasms are commonly frightening and confusing to those who experience them. Slowing respiration and applying straightforward calming techniques can mitigate the rush of panic and reduce the occurrence and intensity of spasms and cramping.
Read at Psychology Today
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