Clumsiness: When to be worried about your poor coordination

Most of us have those moments when we just can’t seem to trust our hands and feet to do what they are supposed to do. We bump into things leading to a fall sometimes, or we tend to drop things. For many people, this is nothing to worry about, but if issues with coordination are recurrent, you might want to seek medical attention.

Are you just klutzy?

In the dictionary, clumsiness is defined as poor coordination, movement or action. Normally, our eyes, brains, nerves, muscles and bones work together to enable us to basic things like walking, lifting holding things. Dr Taylor Harrison, clinical instructor in the neuromuscular division of the Emory University department of neurology in Atlanta explained:

Coordination of the body is an extremely complicated process that involves input from both motor and sensory systems. Problems in any of these areas may give rise to problems with coordination.

Many factors impact coordination, with the common one being a stroke. This happens as a result of blood clot in the brain that decreases blood flow to other parts of the body. Healthline explains that a stroke:

…deprives your brain of oxygen, and brain cells begin to die. During a stroke, some people experience paralysis or muscle weakness, which can cause poor coordination and stumbling.

Other causes

Poor vision, arthritis and head injuries can affect coordination as well as certain medications and alcohol use. Stress and anxiety are also factors to consider when coordination becomes a problem. For people who struggle with anxiety, overthinking makes it difficulty to concentrate on the task at hand, causing people to drop or trip over things.

Some seizures can also make it difficult for a person to coordinate their movements properly.

Knowing the cause of the clumsiness is the first step to treatment or managing it. Speak to a health professional when you think your clumsiness is becoming more than a personality trait.

Read more:

⋙ Knuckle cracking: Is this habit linked to arthritis?

⋙ Stroke: Commonly prescribed drug could triple your risk

⋙ Study shows that drinking diet sodas can increase the risk of a stroke up to three times