MUSCLE ATROPHY

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What is Muscle Atrophy?

Muscle atrophy is the loss or wasting of muscle tissue throughout the body. There are two basic ways in which this disease can form. The most severe form of this disease is neurogenic atrophy, a disease caused when an injury or disease harms the nerve which attaches to the muscle. This damage can occur quite suddenly. The second type of this disease is disuse atrophy which is caused by a lack of physical activity.

Symptoms of Muscle Atrophy

Weak and flabby muscle - The first sign that you are suffering from muscle atrophy is that the muscles will become weak and flabby. You may notice that the muscles on your body are not sitting in the same position that they used to or that your skin is starting to stretch from the weight of the muscles hanging in a way that they did not previously. You may also notice that it is becoming difficult to perform exercise routines, basic lifting or other tasks that you were once able to perform.

Damaged muscle - In the case of neurogenic muscle atrophy, you may notice a stooped posture where the muscle has become damaged. This can be more difficult to notice initially, but the posture may become more pronounced over time as the condition becomes worse. If something feels abnormal, even if you are not aware of a major shift in your ability to stand upright or hold your body in its normal position, it may be worth having your condition looked at to ensure that nothing is wrong.

Pain and difficulty in moving - Patients may also notice that they have frequent back pain or difficulty walking if they begin to develop muscle atrophy. These can be a result of either type of the disease. Other symptoms such as ham string contractures, limited range of neck motion or rigid spine may begin to form as your condition becomes worse. An overall stiffness or difficult, heavy feeling when you attempt to move has also been described by patients.

Heart failure- In more extreme cases you may begin to develop heart failure from muscle atrophy. As muscles become weaker it can become difficult for your heart to pump as efficiently, and it will eventually fail from a lack of use.

Treatments of Muscle Atrophy

In most cases, exercise can help reverse the effects of muscle atrophy. In the case of severely bedridden patients, you may not be able to completely reverse the effects of muscle atrophy, but you can help cease the damage which has been done to the body. If your condition is serious it is important to work with a doctor or therapist to develop a program that will not put excessive amounts of strain on your heart and damaged muscles.

Patients suffering from muscle atrophy caused by nerve damage may require musculoskeletal manipulations in order to relieve the pressure on the nerve which is causing the damage. This will help return the connection to the muscle so that you can begin to work on the progress of working the muscle back to its original state

RESOURCE:http://www.md-health.com/Muscle-Atrophy.html

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