Tics are quick, repetitive movements or sounds that your body makes involuntarily. Tics are common in childhood. Many times, they’re mild and go away on their own over time. If your child has more severe or frequent tics, they may have a neurological condition that causes them to perform tics, called a tic disorder.
Tics are sudden, quick movements or sounds that you do repeatedly and involuntarily. If you have tics, you can’t stop your body from doing these things. They can occur in any part of your body, including your face, shoulders, hands and legs. For example, if you have a motor tic, you might blink your eyes repeatedly or shrug your shoulders over and over again. If you have a vocal tic, you may make a grunting sound unwillingly or feel the need to constantly clear your throat. The tics you do often change over time.
Tics frequently begin with an unpleasant sensation or urge that builds up in your body. People are sometimes able to suppress or delay their tics, but this may cause discomfort they can only relieve by performing the tic.
Tics are common in children, typically starting between the ages of 5 and 10. They’re usually not serious and often improve or stop on their own over time. But sometimes, the presence of tics can be a sign of a more serious tic disorder that requires treatment.
People may experience simple or complex motor tics and vocal tics. Simple tics are brief and sudden repetitive movements that involve just a few muscle groups. They’re more common than complex tics.
Motor tics involve body movements, like shoulder shrugging. Vocal tics involve your voice, like throat clearing. Motor tics tend to develop before vocal tics, and simple tics develop before complex tics.
Simple motor tics include:
Simple vocal tics include:
Complex tics are coordinated and distinct patterns of movement that involve several different muscle groups in areas throughout your body.
Complex motor tics include:
Complex vocal tics include:
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Tic disorders are a spectrum of neurological conditions that cause you to perform tics. Tics and their associated symptoms may range from mild to severe. In many cases, tics are mild and don’t require treatment. Tics often go away as children get older. In other cases, treatment is necessary to manage tics and other health conditions that occur with them.
There are three main types of tic disorders. They differ from each other based on the type of tics and how long symptoms have lasted. Tic disorders include provisional tic disorder, persistent (chronic) tic disorder and Tourette syndrome.
People with provisional tic disorder, or transient tic disorder, have motor or vocal tics (one or both) for less than one year. This is the most common type of tic disorder. It may affect up to 10% of children in their early school years. According to the DSM-5, a person must have the following to receive a diagnosis of provisional tic disorder:
People with persistent (chronic) tic disorder have motor or vocal tics (not both) for more than one year. Persistent tic disorder affects less than 1% of school-age children. According to the DSM-5, to get a diagnosis of persistent tic disorder, you must have:
People with Tourette syndrome have motor and vocal tics (both) for more than one year. This is the most severe type of tic disorder. According to the DSM-5, you must have the following to receive a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome:
Tic disorders are fairly common. Researchers estimate that 1 out of every 50 children has Tourette syndrome or another tic disorder.
Before a tic occurs, you may feel an urge to perform the tic. This urge is similar to the need to scratch an itch or sneeze. A feeling of tension builds up in the affected part of your body, and giving in to the tic provides momentary relief. You may be able to postpone a tic for seconds to minutes, but you need to put in conscious effort. Typically, the urge to perform the tic ultimately becomes irresistible.
Trying to control a tic is often very hard, particularly during times of emotional stress. Stress and fatigue often make tics worse. But tics frequently become worse when your body’s relaxed or you are alone. Calling attention to a tic can also make it worse. Tics typically don’t occur during sleep, and they may lessen when you’re concentrating on a task like work activities or schoolwork.
Some tics can be harmful, like motor tics that cause someone to hit themselves in the face or repeated large neck movements that start to cause pain. A vocal tic called coprolalia leads to swearing or inappropriate language. This type of tic can make someone seem purposefully disruptive or offensive, even though it’s an uncontrollable impulse. Children with coprolalia might receive unwarranted punishment at school or at home. They may also experience bullying. This type of tic affects 10% to 15% of children with Tourette syndrome.
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Researchers don’t know the exact cause of tics, but some scientists believe they occur due to changes in the part of your brain that controls movement. In addition, as tics can run in biological families, scientists believe the condition could also have a genetic component. Tic disorders also occur alongside other conditions, including:
Sometimes, people with other health conditions, like Huntington’s disease or encephalitis, develop tics or movements similar to tics. Tics can also occur after using recreational drugs like cocaine or amphetamines. But tics that happen because of other conditions or drug use aren’t considered a tic disorder.
Tics occur most often in children during early childhood. Children as young as age 4 can have tics, but the incidence peaks between the ages of 5 and 10. Tics also affect children assigned male at birth (AMAB) more frequently than children assigned female at birth (AFAB).
Your child’s healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and evaluate their symptoms. If possible, it’s helpful to bring along a video or two of your child performing their tics so their provider can see what exactly your child is experiencing.
Based on what type of tics and their duration, your child’s provider may make a diagnosis of a certain type of tic disorder. Your child’s provider may also evaluate them for other disorders that often accompany tics, like ADHD and OCD.
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Tic disorder treatment depends on the type and severity of your child’s condition. If their condition is mild, they may not need any treatment, and their tics may resolve on their own. Self-help tips, like avoiding fatigue and stress, can be very helpful for most children.
In other cases, if your child’s tics are severe and interfering with their daily life, their healthcare provider may recommend behavioral therapy, medication or both.
Through a type of behavioral therapy called habit reversal training, your child will learn how to manage their symptoms and come up with a different behavior to take the tic’s place. For instance, if your child’s tic involves shrugging their shoulders, their therapist may teach them to stretch out their arms until the urge to shrug has passed.
Another type of therapy your child’s provider may recommend is called comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT). This type of therapy is helpful for older children to learn how to manage their tics. It includes habit reversal training, as well as education about tics and relaxation techniques.
Along with offering behavioral therapy, your child’s psychiatrist can help advise you on how to provide support as a family and make sure your child is receiving appropriate educational support.
If the tics persist and are interfering with your child’s life, medications for tics may help.
For mild tics, medications that may help include clonidine and guanfacine. Providers also recommend these medications to help control ADHD and anxiety, which can accompany a tic disorder.
For more severe tics, neuroleptic medications, including aripiprazole and olanzapine, may be effective. These medications work by altering the effects of neurotransmitters that control body movements.
Because scientists don’t know exactly why tics affect some people and not others, you can’t prevent them.
Tics usually improve on their own over time and may stop completely. Sometimes, a tic may last for just a few months, but more frequently, they come and go over several years.
Tics are most severe between the ages of 8 and 17. They usually start to improve and go away on their own after puberty.
If your child has mild tics, you may be able to help them with some simple self-care tips, including:
Some tics aren’t serious. You don’t need to see your child’s provider if their tics are mild and not causing any problems. The tics may even disappear as quickly as they appeared. But you should schedule an appointment with your child’s provider if you’re concerned about their tics or the tics:
If your child has tics, you may want to ask their provider:
If your child has developed a tic, you may be worried, stressed or concerned. But while the presence of tics can be alarming, they’re usually not serious. In fact, many mild cases of tics go away on their own. But if your child’s tics have become more frequent or severe, it may be time to reach out to their healthcare provider. Their provider can help determine if your child’s tics are a cause for concern and what treatment options may be best for them.
Last reviewed on 08/19/2024.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy