There are many different types of both movement (motor) and sound (vocal) tic. They may be either simple or complex.
Simple tics
Some examples of simple tics include:
" blinking
" head jerking
" shoulder shrugging
" facial twitches/grimaces
" sniffing
" clearing your throat
" grunting
" tongue clicking
Complex tics
Complex tics are more extreme - some examples include:
" jumping
" squatting
" touching other people or things
" twirling
" copying other people's movements
" making obscene gestures (copropraxia)
" swearing or saying obscene words (coprolalia)
" repeating words/phrases
" saying things out of context
The symptoms of Tourette's syndrome tend to come and go, often with one tic going and being replaced by a different one. You may also find your tics change as you get older. Tics are completely unpredictable, but you may be able to control them with relaxation techniques or by concentrating on something. You may find your tics are worse when you are feeling stressed or anxious.
