Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Clumsiness?Common CausesSerious CausesWhen to See a ProviderImproving Coordination
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Clumsiness?
Common Causes
Serious Causes
When to See a Provider
Improving Coordination
If you are wondering why you’ve been so clumsy lately, dropping things, tripping, or becoming forgetful, it could be related to health issues, medication side effects, or many other potential causes. Most of the time, being more clumsy than usual is related to distraction or lack of sleep.
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Some symptoms often described as clumsiness include:
Anyone can occasionally experience any of the above symptoms, particularly when tired or distracted. You may have experienced this for a few hours or days. However, if you’ve noticed frequent or worsening clumsiness, it’s time to get medical attention.
If you have always been a little rushed or flustered—it could be beneficial for your mental health to consider slowing down or being more mindful. But becoming clumsy can be distressing, and it is not “normal” to suddenly or gradually start losing your balance while walking or to start dropping things.
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Common Causes of Being More Clumsy Lately
There are many common causes of clumsiness, and it’s important for you to get a diagnosis so you can get proper treatment. Even if you already know the cause—such as stress—you still owe it to yourself to talk to a healthcare provider so you can get proper treatment.
Common causes of clumsiness include:
Medications:Many medications can cause dizziness or fatigue or may interfere with sleep—potentially leading to coordination problems and clumsiness.
Intoxication: Alcohol and drugs can interfere with your balance. If you consume more than usual or if you drink on an empty stomach or while you’re sick or taking medication, the effects can be stronger. Typically, you would know if you have consumed alcohol or other substances,but a substance could potentially be given to you without your knowledge.
Sleep problems: Being tired from lack of sleep, even for one night, can make you a little bit off balance and clumsy. If lack of sleep is a chronic problem for you, it’s important to get medical attention to identify the cause of your sleep disturbance so you can get treatment.
Anxiety: Emotional distress, whether temporary or due to an anxiety disorder, can cause distraction and may cause occasional or persistent symptoms of clumsiness.
Joint or muscle problems: Inflammation can affect your joints or muscles due to injury, arthritis, or disease. The pain can throw off your balance. An accurate diagnosis can guide your treatment to either physical therapy, medication, or surgery. Treatment can prevent these conditions from worsening and can help improve your balance.
Ear infection: Any disruption to your ears, such as an infection or hearing loss, can affect your balance. You may also experience lightheadedness, vertigo (a feeling that the room is spinning), nausea or vomiting, andtinnitus(ringing in your ears). With treatment, these symptoms can often improve.
Pregnancy: Weight gain, trouble sleeping, nausea/vomiting, and other changes that your body goes through during pregnancy can make you feel off-balance. If it’s affecting your life, you can talk to your healthcare provider about being tested for dehydration or another medical issue.
Peripheral neuropathy: This condition involves nerve damage, which can result fromdiabetes, inflammation, or alcohol. Peripheral neuropathy causes diminished sensation and impaired motor control—which may lead to difficulty walking and diminished coordination.
Parkinson’s disease: This neurodegenerative disease causes tremors, muscle stiffness, and diminished balance. Medication can help control symptoms, and physical therapy can be especially beneficial for improving balance and coordination.
Multiple sclerosis: This neurological disease affects the brain and spinal cord, causing various symptoms, including weakness, clumsiness, and vision problems.
Low blood pressure: Hypotension (low blood pressure) can be a sign of many different conditions, such as heart disease, kidney failure, and Parkinson’s disease—and can also occur as a side effect of medication. Low blood pressure can make you feel lightheaded or off-balance—especially when you’re getting up from sitting or standing.
Many medical conditions that can lead to clumsiness tend to develop or worsen with advancing age.However, most of these causes can be treated, so it’s not fair to yourself to just chalk up your symptoms to aging.
Treatment for the causes of your clumsiness can improve your quality of life and independence and lower your risk of falling and injuries—regardless of your age.
Consequences and Management of ClumsinessIn addition to potentially feeling embarrassed and accidentally breaking things, clumsiness can lead to injuries. If your clumsiness is causing problems in your life, you can get help, either with medication, lifestyle adjustments (such as using corrective lenses), stress management, or physical therapy. The cause of your symptoms will guide your treatment.
Consequences and Management of Clumsiness
In addition to potentially feeling embarrassed and accidentally breaking things, clumsiness can lead to injuries. If your clumsiness is causing problems in your life, you can get help, either with medication, lifestyle adjustments (such as using corrective lenses), stress management, or physical therapy. The cause of your symptoms will guide your treatment.
Serious Causes of New-Onset Clumsiness
Some worrisome medical conditions can lead to clumsiness. Typically, the serious causes also involve other symptoms besides just clumsiness—so it’s important not to jump to conclusions if you drop things when you’re carrying too much.
However, if you have any other symptoms or if your clumsiness is getting worse, you may have a medical problem that requires prompt medical attention.
Serious causes of clumsiness include:
Brain injury: If you recently had a fall or were in an accident, you may have experienced a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms could include headaches, difficulty concentrating, neck pain, “not feeling like yourself,” and feeling off-balance while walking or doing tasks.
Stroke: Usually a stroke causes sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms, such as slurred speech, weakness on one side of the body, changes in sensation on one side of the body, a droopy face, or vision changes. Clumsiness while walking or doing any kind of task is also very common with a stroke.
Seizures: A seizure is a brief episode of involuntary movements, altered consciousness, or both. Sometimes, a seizure can cause falling, and some people may not remember having a seizure. If you experience unexplained falls or injuries or can’t remember how you fell, it’s important to get medical attention.
Brain tumor: There are several types of brain tumors. Some develop quickly, and some develop slowly. A common symptom of a brain tumor is feeling off-balance and declining coordination abilities.
Encephalitis: This rare disorder results from infection or inflammation of the brain and can cause seizures, weakness, and clumsiness.
Cancer: Cancer in any organ of the body can cause changes in blood pressure, malnutrition, fatigue, and overall weakness—potentially leading to clumsiness.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you’re concerned about your own clumsiness or forgetfulness, or if you are concerned about these symptoms affecting someone else, it’s important to seek medical attention.
Signs that you need prompt medical attention include:
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Diagnosis of Clumsiness
Additionally, it’s important to make an appointment to see a healthcare provider if you are experiencing ringing in the ears, ear pain, or unusual sensations (such as tingling or burning pain) in your hands or feet.
Depending on your symptoms and your examination, you may need diagnostic tests, including:
Many causes of clumsiness are diagnosed with a physical examination. For example, low blood pressure would be detected with a blood pressure reading, and Parkinson’s disease would be diagnosed as your healthcare provider examines your muscle tone and looks for signs of tremors.
How to Improve Your Coordination
Good coordination is crucial for your health and safety. Whether you have a medical problem or not, there are ways that you can improve your coordination.
Regular exercise, including strength training, balance training (such as yoga, Pilates, or water exercises), and cardiovascular exercises like running, will all help improve your balance and coordination.
Additionally, staying active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle will help you maintain a healthy weight and wellness, which promotes good coordination and balance.
If you’ve been distracted, consider talking with a loved one, friend, or therapist who might be able to help you figure out how to slow down.
Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety and Stress
Summary
Clumsiness has many different causes. While you may likely feel clumsy occasionally, persistent or worsening clumsiness could be serious and require medical attention. If you have sudden symptoms involving weakness, changes in consciousness, or confusion, it’s important to get medical attention right away. If you are concerned but not sure what to do, call a healthcare provider for advice.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Colón-Emeric CS, McDermott CL, Lee DS, Berry SD.Risk assessment and prevention of falls in older community-dwelling adults: A review.JAMA.2024;331(16):1397-1406. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1416National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Multiple sclerosis.Morris R, Lewis A.Falls and cancer.Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol).2020;32(9):569-578. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2020.03.011Babos CI, Leucuta DC, Dumitrascu DL.Meditation-based therapies for chronic neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(8):e68226. doi:10.7759/cureus.68226de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J, Hunt B, Giunti P, Hadjivassiliou M.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Pract Neurol.2019;19(3):196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096Li Y, Chang J, Zhu K, et al.Contribution of changes in the spinal cord and brain to the onset and progression of hand clumsiness symptoms in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.J Neurosurg Spine.2024;41(3):396-406. doi:10.3171/2024.4.SPINE231238
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Colón-Emeric CS, McDermott CL, Lee DS, Berry SD.Risk assessment and prevention of falls in older community-dwelling adults: A review.JAMA.2024;331(16):1397-1406. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1416National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Multiple sclerosis.Morris R, Lewis A.Falls and cancer.Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol).2020;32(9):569-578. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2020.03.011Babos CI, Leucuta DC, Dumitrascu DL.Meditation-based therapies for chronic neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(8):e68226. doi:10.7759/cureus.68226de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J, Hunt B, Giunti P, Hadjivassiliou M.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Pract Neurol.2019;19(3):196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096Li Y, Chang J, Zhu K, et al.Contribution of changes in the spinal cord and brain to the onset and progression of hand clumsiness symptoms in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.J Neurosurg Spine.2024;41(3):396-406. doi:10.3171/2024.4.SPINE231238
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Colón-Emeric CS, McDermott CL, Lee DS, Berry SD.Risk assessment and prevention of falls in older community-dwelling adults: A review.JAMA.2024;331(16):1397-1406. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1416National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Multiple sclerosis.Morris R, Lewis A.Falls and cancer.Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol).2020;32(9):569-578. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2020.03.011Babos CI, Leucuta DC, Dumitrascu DL.Meditation-based therapies for chronic neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(8):e68226. doi:10.7759/cureus.68226de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J, Hunt B, Giunti P, Hadjivassiliou M.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Pract Neurol.2019;19(3):196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096Li Y, Chang J, Zhu K, et al.Contribution of changes in the spinal cord and brain to the onset and progression of hand clumsiness symptoms in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.J Neurosurg Spine.2024;41(3):396-406. doi:10.3171/2024.4.SPINE231238
Colón-Emeric CS, McDermott CL, Lee DS, Berry SD.Risk assessment and prevention of falls in older community-dwelling adults: A review.JAMA.2024;331(16):1397-1406. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1416
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Multiple sclerosis.
Morris R, Lewis A.Falls and cancer.Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol).2020;32(9):569-578. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2020.03.011
Babos CI, Leucuta DC, Dumitrascu DL.Meditation-based therapies for chronic neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(8):e68226. doi:10.7759/cureus.68226
de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J, Hunt B, Giunti P, Hadjivassiliou M.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Pract Neurol.2019;19(3):196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096
Li Y, Chang J, Zhu K, et al.Contribution of changes in the spinal cord and brain to the onset and progression of hand clumsiness symptoms in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.J Neurosurg Spine.2024;41(3):396-406. doi:10.3171/2024.4.SPINE231238
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