Table of contents:
- Is muscle atrophy?
- Symptoms of muscle atrophy
- Various causes of muscle atrophy
- The cause of atrophy is that the muscles are not used too often
- 1. A job that demands moving a little
- 2. Too long lying in bed
- 3. Have had a stroke
- 4. Certain professions
- Causes of neurogenic atrophy
- 1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- 2. Carpal tunnel syndrome
- 3.Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
- Other causes of muscle atrophy
- How to detect muscle shrinkage due to atrophy
- Treatment for muscle atrophy
- 1. Physical therapy
- 2. Functional electrical stimulation (FES)
- 3. Operations
When muscles are not used for too long, muscle atrophy may occur, namely shrinkage of muscle tissue. Of course, this can interfere with the function of the muscles and the overall body movement system. The following is a complete explanation of the definitions, causes, symptoms, and appropriate treatment for the following atrophy.
Is muscle atrophy?
Muscle atrophy is a condition when you start to lose muscle mass due to shrinkage. This condition can occur due to various things, for example being not used for too long, part of the aging process, malnutrition, the use of drugs, to various diseases that affect bone and muscle health.
Atrophy leads to muscle weakness, and it is not uncommon for patients to experience disabilities because of it. This condition is divided into two types, namely muscle atrophy due to disuse (disuse atrophy) and neurogenic atrophy (neurogenic atrophy).
Disues atrophyis a condition that arises from a lack of physical activity. Often times, atrophy occurs when the muscles are never used for movement and activity. Generally, those who experience this condition are people who have certain health conditions so that their body movements are limited.
However, this condition may also be experienced by people with jobs that require little movement, or people who have a habit of slacking off to never do any activity. Muscle atrophy can be relieved by physical exercise or nutritional fulfillment.
The second type of muscle atrophy is neurogenic atrophy, which is atrophy that occurs because the patient has suffered an injury, or a disease such as multiple sclerosis which attacks nerves. Compareddisuse atrophy, this type often appears suddenly.
Apart from that, it was different fromdisuse atrophy, this condition cannot be cured because there is damage to the nerves of the patient. Therefore, it is very important for you to maintain muscle health in order to avoid one of these muscle problems.
Symptoms of muscle atrophy
There are several signs and symptoms of atrophy that you need to be aware of, including:
- Balance problems that cause the patient to have difficulty walking and frequent falls.
- Difficulty speaking as well as swallowing.
- Weakness of the muscles in the face.
- Do not have the ability to coordinate and balance the body.
- It's getting harder and harder to move.
- Weakness that is felt only in one limb.
If you or someone closest to you begins to experience the symptoms of atrophy as mentioned above, it never hurts to see a doctor immediately.
Various causes of muscle atrophy
The two types of muscle atrophy have different causes. You need to know these various causes so you can take preventive measures and avoid this one muscle problem.
The cause of atrophy is that the muscles are not used too often
Several possible causes include:
1. A job that demands moving a little
You may not realize that while working at a computer, there are actually some muscles and parts of the body that are moved less and less. In fact, the body that moves less and less has the potential to cause you to experience this problem because the muscles are rarely used.
2. Too long lying in bed
Too long lying in bed and not moving can be one of the causes of atrophy. Yes, lying in bed and not doing any activity makes the muscles in your body less used. At a severe level, you may experience atrophy.
3. Have had a stroke
Apparently, certain health conditions can also be a cause of atrophy. The reason is, these health conditions can limit the movement of the patient's body due to problems in the nervous system.
A health problem that can lead to atrophy is stroke, because the disease often limits the patient's space to move so that the muscles in his body are rarely used.
4. Certain professions
Going to space can be a cause of muscle atrophy. For people who have jobs with the possibility of such travel, such as astronauts, may experience muscle atrophy, having to go through space that has no gravity.
Causes of neurogenic atrophy
Meanwhile, here are some of the causes of neurogenic atrophy:
1. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
A disease that attacks the nerves in the brain, brain stem and spinal cord. In fact, these nerves are in charge of controlling muscle movement. If there is a problem with these nerves, the muscles become immobilized and neurogenic atrophy occurs.
2. Carpal tunnel syndrome
This syndrome often causes pain to numbness in the area of the patient's hand and arm. Usually, this condition occurs due to the main nerve in the hand narrowing or shrinking and moving towards the wrist.
This condition can cause muscle atrophy because the nerves that are supposed to control movement are problematic so that the hand becomes difficult to move.
3.Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
This syndrome is a serious health problem, occurs because the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. This condition causes inflammation of the nerves that causes muscles to become weak or paralyzed. This syndrome can also cause neurogenic atrophy that is often incurable.
Other causes of muscle atrophy
There are several other causes of this one muscle health problem, and these conditions may cause one type of atrophy, including:
- Burns.
- Malnutrition.
- Muscular dystrophy and various other muscle health problems.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
How to detect muscle shrinkage due to atrophy
A doctor can only detect muscle shrinkage through a physical exam. So, submit all complaints that you feel in detail, including injuries or injuries that have occurred, either in the near future or for a long time; previously diagnosed medical conditions; to the list of medications, prescriptions, and supplements you are taking.
If necessary, the doctor will perform tests to make it easier to diagnose the disease. Tests can include:
- Blood test.
- X-rays.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Computed tomography (CT Scan).
- Muscle or nerve biopsy.
Treatment for muscle atrophy
In contrast to muscle pain and other muscle problems that may heal on their own or can be resolved simply by taking muscle pain relievers, muscle atrophy is a more serious muscle problem.
As previously mentioned, neurogenic atrophy is a condition that cannot be treated, because it causes damage to certain nerves. Even so, conditions that occur due to muscle overuse can still be overcome in the following ways:
1. Physical therapy
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, physical therapy can help restore conditions that occur due to underuse muscles. This physical therapy usually practices stretching and helps the patient train the muscles to regain mobility.
Other advantages of physical therapy for patients with muscle health problems include:
- Increase muscle strength.
- Improve blood circulation.
- Reduces muscle spasms, especially after experiencing sustained muscle contraction.
2. Functional electrical stimulation (FES)
This treatment for atrophy is an effective treatment for muscle atrophy. The reason is, this treatment uses an electric current to stimulate contractions in the immovable muscles.
Usually, during an FES, a specialist will place electrodes on the atrophied muscle. These electrodes will deliver an electric current that stimulates muscle movement.
3. Operations
There are several conditions that cause atrophy that can be treated with surgery. This procedure is considered as a way to treat atrophy that occurs due to injuries, nerve problems, and malnutrition.
