Part 1: Understanding Muscle Atrophy
1. Know what muscle atrophy means. Muscle atrophy is the medical term used to denote the condition when a part of the body suffers muscle loss or when muscle tissue wastes away.
It's normal for muscle atrophy to occur as we age, but it can also be a sign of a more serious medical condition, illness, or injury.
Muscle atrophy can negatively impact a person's quality of life because they lose strength and mobility, which can make it difficult to perform basic tasks. People with atrophied muscles are also at an increased risk for falling or injuring themselves. Since the heart is also a muscle that can break down, individuals experiencing muscle atrophy face the risk of heart problems.
2. Learn about disuse atrophy, the leading cause of muscle atrophy. Muscles can atrophy from disuse, or when they are not used regularly at an appreciable level of exertion. This disuse causes the muscle tissue to break down, shorten in length, and waste away. This typically occurs as a result of an injury, sedentary lifestyle, or medical condition that prevents a person from exercising his muscles.
Disuse muscle atrophy can also result from severe malnourishment. For example, prisoners of war and people suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia may experience muscle loss and the wasting away of muscle tissue.
People with jobs that require them to be seated for major portions of each work day or people who are not physically active, can also experience this type of muscle atrophy.
Severe injuries such as those to the spinal cord or brain may leave someone bedridden and result in atrophied muscles. Even common injuries such as broken bones or sprains that restrict your ability to move around can also cause disuse muscle atrophy.
Medical conditions that limit a person's ability to exercise or be physically active include rheumatoid arthritis, which causes joint inflammation, and osteoarthritis, which weakens the bones. These conditions can make it uncomfortable, painful, or even impossible to exercise, leading to atrophied muscles.
In many cases of disuse muscle atrophy, the loss of muscle tissue can be reversed by increasing physical exercise.
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3. Understand the causes of neurogenic atrophy. Neurogenic muscle atrophy is caused by a disease or injury to the nerves attached to the muscles. It is less common than disuse muscle atrophy, but harder to treat because nerve regeneration usually requires more than increased exercise. Some of the diseases that often lead to neurogenic atrophy include:
Polio is a viral disease that can cause paralysis.
Muscular dystrophy, a hereditary disease that weakens the muscles.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, attacks the nerve cells that communicate with and control muscles.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that causes your body's immune system to attack your nerves, resulting in muscle paralysis and weakness.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is another autoimmune disease that can immobilize the whole body.Recognize the symptoms of muscle atrophy. It's important to recognize the symptoms of muscle atrophy early so you can begin treating your condition. Some of the main symptoms include:[8]
Muscle weakness and decrease in muscle size.
Skin around the affected muscle may seem to sag away from the muscle.
Difficulty lifting things, moving the atrophied area, or doing exercise that was once easy.
Pain in the affected area.
Back pain and difficulty walking.
A feeling of stiffness or heaviness in the affected area.
The symptoms of neurogenic muscle atrophy can be harder for someone without a medical background to recognize, but some of the more visible symptoms include a stooped posture, a rigid spine, and a limited ability to move the neck.
4. Recognize the symptoms of muscle atrophy. It's important to recognize the symptoms of muscle atrophy early so you can begin treating your condition. Some of the main symptoms include:
Muscle weakness and a decrease in muscle size.
Skin around the affected muscle may seem to sag away from the muscle.
Difficulty lifting things, moving the atrophied area, or doing exercise that was once easy.
Pain in the affected area.
Back pain and difficulty walking.
A feeling of stiffness or heaviness in the affected area.
The symptoms of neurogenic muscle atrophy can be harder for someone without a medical background to recognize, but some of the more visible symptoms include a stooped posture, a rigid spine, and a limited ability to move the neck.
5. Seek medical advice if you think you are experiencing muscle atrophy. If you suspect that you are experiencing muscle atrophy, it's a good idea to talk with your doctor or a medical professional as soon as possible. They will be able to properly diagnose your condition and provide treatment for the underlying causes.
If the reason for muscle deterioration is an illness, your doctor may be able to prescribe medications that will help you maintain your muscle mass or reverse some damage from muscle atrophy.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as corticosteroids are sometimes given to patients with muscle atrophy, which helps to reduce inflammation and compression of the affected muscle nerves. This can make exercise and daily activities more comfortable.
To diagnose muscle atrophy, doctors often use blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, EMG scans, MRI scans, and muscle or nerve biopsies. They may also measure muscle tone and reflexes.
A doctor will also be able to talk with you about whether any kinds of exercise can stop the loss of muscle tissue or if you need to undergo surgeries and other kinds of treatments.
6. Work with experts. Depending on what is causing the muscle atrophy, your doctor might recommend you work with a physical therapist, nutritionist, or personal trainer who can improve your condition with targeted exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes.
In this section, I explained how any athlete should understand muscle atrophy and what actions to take when it occurs.
Artemus Vazhui