Compulsive stretching (for lack of a better description) in my 9 year old son?

[ThelmaLou]

About a year and a half ago, my 4th ds (then 8) started complaining of tightness in his feet. He does have very wide feet, and he couldn't stand to keep his shoes on for very long at a time. His shoes were plenty wide, and were, in fact, a little on the big side. Then he started complaining about his feet feeling "tight" whether he wore shoes or not.

 

Over the last few months, he's started saying his whole body feels just like his feet. Initially, when he started complaining about tightness in his neck, he'd literally throw his neck forward to temporarily relieve the tightness. He looked like he was having involuntary tics, only they weren't involuntary. Quite simply, I told him to cut it out. I said he could gently bend his neck forward and side to side if he felt the need to stretch, but to stop convulsing.

 

Now, he's starting to slide his jaw from side to side, clench his teeth, bend his arms back and forth, squeeze his eyes and do wierd things with his nose. He says his scalp even feels too tight. So, for lack of a better description, he feels like he needs to stretch every part of his body.

 

One of my older boys did this quite a bit with his nose and eyes. He said his eyes and nose didn't feel big enough, and he felt the need to stretch them. We stayed on him about it (honestly, again, just telling him to cut it out. He was getting into some really bad habits). He eventually stopped, but it took a while.

 

The pediatrician had no explanation and said it was "just one of those kid things." I don't think there's any deep psychological explanation, but when I tell ds to stop what he's doing with his neck or jaw, he just about ends up in tears. He feels compelled to do it. He says he can't stand *not* to do it. He then sits there, tortured, anxious, and miserable.

 

So would this be considered purely compulsive/psychological, or could there be another explanation. Would any mineral deficiencies explain the sensations he's having? He's not in any pain at all, just feels "tight" all over and feels like he must constantly be stretching and pushing on different parts of his body.

[misidawnrn]

I am not an expert but can you try an exercize ball for him to roll around on? It feels good to lie backwards over it! another thing I would just throw out there is tourrettes. My brother has it and jerked around like you describe. He didn't have the outbursts of swearing typical of tourrettes. just my 2cents:001_smile:

[abbeyej]

He looked like he was having involuntary tics, only they weren't involuntary.

 

Actually, what you describe *does* sound like tics. Most people with tics *can* control them, at least for short periods of time. (Although the more stressed someone is, the less they're able to suppress the tics, even temporarily.) So it's not entirely surprising that your son has *some* control over them...

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Poor guy! I would maybe get a second opinion.

[ThelmaLou]

Regarding, Tourette's, I found this online:

"TS is a diagnosis that doctors make after verifying that the patient has had both motor and vocal tics for at least 1 year."

I can say that he has no vocal tics at all. Also no repeptitive throat clearing.

Is it possible to have a motor tic (controllable) non related to Tourette's?

[abbeyej]

Is it possible to have a motor tic (controllable) non related to Tourette's?

 

Yes. There are various reasons for tics, not just Tourette's syndrome. ... And many children *do* pass through a phase of some sort of (vocal and/or motor) tic at some time during childhood...

 

BTW, you asked about deficiencies that might play a role... *If* it were my kid doing the particular behaviors you mention, I'd have his iron levels checked and I would also increase his magnesium, potassium, zinc, and B and D vitamin intake... Just in case.

 

I'd also try working on some simple relaxation techniques with him -- things like deep belly-breathing and also clenching muscles tightly then relaxing slowly, etc...

[ChristusG]

Honestly, it sounds like tics to me. You do not have to have Tourettes to have tics. There's also just general motor/vocal tic disorders. Some kids outgrow them. I didn't. Mine is not severe and I can "hide" them from most people, but I do have them. And the "tightness" might just be his way of describing the need to perform the tic. Please don't tell him to just cut it out.....it is really not possible for someone with tics. They can suppress them but then they eventually need to do them.

[justasque]

Sounds like tics to me.

They are voluntary only in the sense that scratching an itch is voluntary. You can resist scratching it, but it takes up more and more of your brain to do so, until you have to do it. The best way to avoid an itch driving you crazy is to just scratch it and move on with your day.

Tics can get worse with stress or tiredness. We find them to be somewhat seasonal - they are worse in the winter and better in the summer. I don't know if it's because of sunlight or the more stressful schedule of the school year.

Tics move around - sometimes it's about the neck, sometimes the mouth, whatever.

The polite thing to do is simply ignore them. If you want to discuss them, please do so gently. If you don't get them yourself, remind yourself of the "itch" analogy to try to understand what they are like.

It is really not helpful to ask someone to stop their tic, even if it is driving you crazy to watch it.

[Paige]

Have you stretched him to see if his muscles are actually tighter than they should be? I would seek a 2nd opinion too.

[Hayley 40]

Did you find any answers? My son has exactly the same problem 

[stripe]

🧟‍♀️ 

[caffeineandbooks]

13 hours ago, stripe said:

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Yup, this problem will go away if you just feed him braaaaaaaaaaaaains...