Nervous Tics

🌿 Overview

Tics are sudden, repetitive, involuntary movements or sounds. They most commonly affect the face (eye blinking, nose twitching, mouth movements) and neck (shoulder shrugging, head jerking), but can involve sounds (grunting, throat clearing). They are more common in boys, often appear during childhood, and are usually associated with stress, fatigue, or emotional pressure.

Tics typically appear between ages 5–10 and may persist into adulthood in some cases. A cold wind on the face can trigger a tic by chilling a muscle. The B vitamins (especially the complete B complex), calcium, lecithin, and trace minerals nourish the nervous system and often reduce or eliminate tics. Stress reduction is equally important — tics disappear during sleep and worsen under pressure.

Common signs

• Rapid, uncontrolled eye blinking
• Twitching of muscles around the mouth
• Shoulder shrugging or neck jerking
• Involuntary grunting or hiccupping
• Facial grimacing

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

• Stress and anxiety
• Fatigue
• Emotional pressure
• Nutritional deficiencies (B complex, calcium)
• Chilling of facial muscles (from cold wind)

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

1. Do not scold or ridicule the child — this increases stress and worsens tics.
2. Improve diet: eliminate all processed, fried, and junk food; eat only nourishing food: fresh fruits and vegetables, plus lecithin and flaxseed oil (2 tsp. daily).
3. Take the full vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → B complex daily — B vitamins nourish the peripheral nerves.
4. Take lecithin daily — supports nerve myelin sheath.
5. Take calcium (2,000 mg daily) — calcium specifically relaxes muscles and reduces tic frequency.
6. Include trace minerals in the diet.
7. Reduce stress and pressure — avoid over-scheduling or excessive expectations.
8. Practice deep breathing exercises daily.
9. Maintain a regular daily schedule.
10. Stand in front of a mirror and try to deliberately repeat the tic — this is paradoxically almost impossible and can help gain control over the muscle.
11. Practice remaining motionless, gradually increasing to 5 minutes — this builds voluntary control.
12. Reduce or eliminate learning disability stress — unresolved academic struggles contribute significantly to tics.
13. Protect the face from cold wind (if cold-induced).

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🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Favor these

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Lecithin-rich foods (soybeans, sunflower seeds)
• Flaxseed oil
• Whole grains
• Calcium-rich plant foods

Go easy on

• Processed and junk food
• Fried food
• Sugar
• Caffeine and stimulants

The entire vitamin B complex and calcium (2,000 mg daily) are the most important nutritional interventions.

📜 A note from history

Nervous tics have been described in medical literature for centuries. Gilles de la Tourette first described the syndrome bearing his name in 1885. The nutritional connection to B vitamins and calcium was highlighted by mid-20th century orthomolecular medicine practitioners.

💬 Ask Remy about Nervous Tics