Muscle Atrophy

Last updated on : 14 Mar, 2024

Read time : 6 min

Muscle atrophy is when muscles get weaker and don’t work as hard. It’s usually caused by not getting enough exercise.

It can happen when you can’t move an arm or leg because of a disease or an injury. This can make your muscles weaker because you can’t move. This happens when you don’t move your arm or leg for a long time. It will start to look smaller but not shorter than the one you can move.

With a healthy diet, exercise, or physical therapy, some muscle wasting can be reversed. 

Muscle loss symptoms

There may be other symptoms that come with muscle atrophy. but these may be different depending on the underlying disease, disorder, or condition that you have. People who have problems with their muscles may also have problems with other parts of their bodies, like their heart or their brain.

Muscle atrophy may be accompanied by other symptoms of the neuromuscular system, such as the following:

  • It can be hard to stay on your feet, walk, or fall. 
  • Hard time speaking and swallowing 
  • Weakness of the face 
  • There will be some problems walking and talking as time goes on. As well as problems with memory and tingling or weakness in your hands and feet. 
  • Impairment in balance and coordination, as well 
  • In this case, the muscles don’t work together well. 
  • Irritation or numbness in arms or legs
  • Loss of mobility that gets worse over time 
  • Leg weakness and numbness start to get worse over time.

A lot of people who have sclerosis have problems with their balance and walking. As well as with their vision, fatigue, and even their mood.

Other things can happen when your muscles atrophy.

Muscle atrophy can happen with symptoms from other body systems and conditions, like:

  • Fatigue and a general sense of not well
  • There is a general stiffness that lasts more than an hour after you get up in the morning.
  • More often, I fall.
  • Swelling in an area in which you get pain. 

Muscle wasting or muscle atrophy causes

If you’re not moving, your muscles that haven’t been used can die. After it starts, this type of atrophy can often be stopped with exercise and better nutrition.

Muscle atrophy can also happen if you’re in bed or can’t move parts of your body because of a medical condition. Astronauts, for example, can lose muscle mass after a few days in space. Muscle atrophy can also happen for other reasons:

  • There has been no physical activity for a very long time
  • aging 
  • alcohol-related myopathy is pain and weakness in the muscles. due to drinking too much for a long time. 
  • burns
  • Injury: things that could happen, such as torn muscles or broken bones.
  • malnutrition
  • injuries to the spinal cord or the nerves outside the spinal cord
  • stroke
  • long-term use of corticosteroids 

Some medical conditions can make it hard to move, which can cause muscles to atrophy. These are:

  • A disease called Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
  • dermatomyositis, which causes muscle weakness and a rash on the skin.
  • People with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a type of autoimmune disease. It has nerve inflammation and muscle weakness it.
  • A condition called sclerosis is caused by the body destroying the protective coverings of nerves.
  • muscular dystrophy is an inherited condition that weakens the muscles in the body.
  • neuropathy, damage to a nerve or group of nerves, causing a loss of feeling or function, is called neuropathy.
  • Osteoarthritis is a disease that makes joints less flexible.
  • polio is a virus that affects muscle tissue and can cause paralysis.
  • Polymyositis is an inflammation of the muscles.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the joints.
  • spinal muscular atrophy is a condition that causes the muscles in the arms and legs to weaken. Because it is passed down through the generations.

Muscle atrophy treatment

Treatment for some types of muscular dystrophy can help people with the disease. which can help them live longer. Treating muscular dystrophy can help people with some types of the disease for longer and strengthen their heart and lung muscles. You can’t get rid of any type of muscular dystrophy. It’s still going on, but tests of new medicines are going on every single day.

Those who have muscular dystrophy need to be checked on for the rest of their lives. They should have neurologists, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, and physical and occupational therapists on their team of care. 

Some people may also need specialists in other parts of their bodies. These are people who work with the lung, heart, sleep, and other parts of the body, too.

A few of the treatment options are medicines, physical and occupational therapy, surgery, and more. Walk, swallow, breathe, and use your hands. So treatment can change the disease’s progress and it can be done in different ways.

Muscle atrophy therapy

There are many types of therapy and assistive devices that can help people with muscular dystrophy. In which they live better lives and sometimes live longer, too. Examples of this:

1. Stretching and range of motion exercises

It can be hard for joints to move. if you have muscular dystrophy. They tend to move closer together and stay there for a long time, becoming stuck there. Keep joints as flexible as possible with range-of-motion exercises. which can be done at home. 

2. Exercise

People who do low-impact aerobic exercise, like walking or swimming, can keep their strength, and mobility. It might also be good to do some types of exercises to build strength. Some types of exercise could be bad for you, so you should talk to your doctor first.

3. Braces

It can help keep muscles and tendons stretched and flexible. which can slow down the development of contractures, as well. It can also help with mobility and function by supporting weak muscles. Apart from this canes, walkers, and wheelchairs can help people move independently.

4. Breathing device

It might be easier for people to get more oxygen at night, in case the lungs weaken, the device can be helpful. They need to use a machine that helps them breathe by pushing air into and out of their lungs (ventilator).

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Our healthcare experts have carefully reviewed and compiled the information presented here to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness. It is important to note that this information serves as a general overview of the topic and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or cure any health problem. This page does not establish a doctor-patient relationship, nor does it replace the advice or consultation of a registered medical practitioner. We recommend seeking guidance from your registered medical practitioner for any questions or concerns regarding your medical condition.

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