What is the fluttering in my upper abdomen?
Emily Ross
Published Jan 25, 2026
Diaphragm flutter — also known as diaphragmatic flutter or diaphragmatic myoclonus — is a rare disorder in which your diaphragm experiences repeated involuntary contractions. The diaphragm is a muscle just below your lungs that separates your chest and upper abdomen.
Can stomach spasms feel like baby moving?
It's possible to have sensations that feel like a baby kicking when you aren't pregnant. Several normal movements in a woman's body can mimic a baby's kicks. This includes gas, muscle contractions, and peristalsis—the wave-like motions of intestinal digestion. Women often refer to the sensation as phantom kicks.
Why is my rib cage fluttering?
The fluttering feeling in your rib cage could be heart palpitations. Heart palpitations are the sensation of your heart beating. Many patients describe a fluttering feeling in the chest area, or their heart thumping or racing. These symptoms don't usually last too long.
How do I stop my diaphragm from fluttering?
Raise the arm corresponding to the side of the pain and place that hand on the back of your head. Hold it for 30 to 60 seconds to allow knots to loosen. You can even continue exercising while holding the stretch. Additionally, you can apply pressure with your hand to the pain point and bend backward and forward slowly.
What does a diaphragm flutter feel like?
Spasms: During a diaphragm muscle spasm, the diaphragm doesn't relax and curve back up when you exhale. It contracts (tightens), causing a cramp in the abdomen. Strenuous exercise can cause this type of spasm, which some people call a “side stitch.” It usually gets better with rest.
44 related questions foundHow do I stop upper abdominal spasms?
Treatment
- Rest. People who are experiencing spasms due to muscle strain may find relief by resting the stomach muscles and avoiding abdominal exercises.
- Heat. Applying a heat pack or hot water bottle to the stomach can relax the muscles and ease spasms.
- Massage. ...
- Hydration. ...
- Epsom salt baths.
What do stomach spasms feel like?
Abdominal muscle spasm, also known as abdominal rigidity, is a powerful, involuntary contraction of the muscles of the abdomen. During a spasm, the muscle will feel stiff and tender if you apply pressure.
Can you feel flutters and not be pregnant?
If you're feeling these itty bitty flutters months or even years after childbirth, don't worry, you're not alone. Phantom kicks are a widely experienced sensation with a variety of causes. For the most part, they're normal and not cause for alarm.
Why does it feel like something is moving in my stomach and I'm not pregnant?
Even if you have never conceived, you can still feel those unexplained baby kicks. The jury is still out on what causes this phenomenon. It could be the result of a little gas, intestinal rumbling, or even uterine irritation. It is not something to panic about and usually goes away on its own.
When should I worry about muscle twitching?
Muscle twitches have a variety of causes, many of which are minor. You should see your doctor if the twitches are continuous, cause weakness or muscle loss, affects multiple body parts, begin after a new medication or new medical condition.
Why can I see my stomach pulsing?
Again, this sensation is just due to blood flowing through your abdominal aorta. If you don't have a lot of abdominal fat, you might even be able to see your stomach pulsating. This is completely normal and should go away once you stand up.
Where do you feel pregnancy flutters?
Quickening can feel like butterflies fluttering in your stomach, or even like a growling tummy. If you've been pregnant before, you might be familiar with the fluttery feeling and so you might be aware of quickening a little earlier, perhaps closer to 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Can you get muscle spasms in your ribs?
The tightness, pain, or whatever you're feeling results from spasms in small muscles between your ribs. The doctor will call these intercostal muscles. They hold your rib cage together and help it expand when you move, bend, or breathe. If these muscles have spasms, you feel painful, tightening pressure.
What is hourglass?
Stomach gripping (or clinically known as 'the hourglass syndrome') is a common dysfunction which can be an underlying factor in many pain syndromes. It occurs due to too much tension in the upper abdominals and dysfunction of the diaphragm (the muscle that sits under your lungs).
What is under right rib cage with spasms?
The right upper quadrant (RUQ) includes the pancreas, right kidney, gallbladder, liver, and intestines. Pain under the ribs in this area can indicate a health problem affecting one of these organs or the surrounding tissues.
What causes movement in the upper abdomen?
Diaphragm spasms are involuntary contractions of the band of muscle that divides the upper abdomen and chest. They may feel like a twitch or flutter and can occur with or without pain.
What causes muscle twitching?
Muscle twitches are caused by our muscles tightening up ("contracting") involuntarily — in other words, when we're not actually controlling them. Muscle twitches can happen for lots of reasons, like stress, too much caffeine, a poor diet, exercise, or as a side effect of some medicines.
Can MS cause stomach spasms?
The 'MS hug' is symptom of MS that feels like an uncomfortable, sometimes painful feeling of tightness or pressure, usually around your stomach or chest. The pain or tightness can stretch all around the chest or stomach, or it can be just on one side.
Can you feel flutters at 1 week pregnant?
A woman who is pregnant for the first time may not feel anything until around 25 weeks, whereas a woman who has had previous pregnancies may recognize baby flutters as early as week 13.
How early can you feel flutters in 3rd pregnancy?
The earliest you're likely to feel your baby move in your third pregnancy is at about 16 weeks. However, that's the earliest, and it could well be later – up to eight weeks later, to be exact.
Can I feel flutters at 8 weeks pregnant?
Fetal movement is usually present very early in pregnancy and can be seen by ultrasound sometimes as early as eight weeks. First time moms usually start to feel this movement around 20 weeks and as early at 17-18 weeks in subsequent pregnancies.
How do you know if you have an aneurysm in your stomach?
If you have an enlarging abdominal aortic aneurysm, you might notice: Deep, constant pain in the belly area or side of the belly (abdomen) Back pain. A pulse near the bellybutton.
Can you feel an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
In most cases, an unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) will cause no symptoms, unless it becomes particularly large. Symptoms of an unruptured AAA may include: a pulsating feeling in your stomach (abdomen), usually near your belly button, that's usually only noticeable when you touch it. persistent back pain.
What is epigastric pulsation?
The movement of the heart can be recorded at the epigastric region directly under the processus xyphoideus of the individual not only with the visible or palpable epigastric pulsation, but also, by certain methods, without the pulsation. We have named this tracing "epigastriogram" or "epigastriocardiogram."
What deficiencies cause twitching?
As we've seen, one of the most common causes of muscle twitches is vitamin deficiency. To dive a little deeper, the three most common vitamin deficiencies that cause muscle twitches include calcium, vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies.