Muscle Atrophy

Muscles make up around 40% of total body weight, and in the case of muscle atrophy, this will lead to severe symptoms in the body.

Muscle atrophy

Muscle atrophy occurs when the muscle tissue becomes thinner or when there is a loss in it, which will lead to a decrease in the muscle mass and strength.

Causes of muscle atrophy

Muscle atrophy might be physiologic (disuse) atrophy that’s caused by using the muscles less than normal, like in the following cases:

• Being in a malnutrition condition.
• Living a sedentary life.
• Being on bed rest.
• Not exercising enough.
• Have a job that requires prolonged sitting.
• Have genetic disorders, like muscular dystrophy.
• Have a condition that prevents moving limbs, like stroke and dermatomyositis.
• Have sarcopenia (age-related atrophy).

Muscle atrophy can also be neurogenic, which occurs due to an issue in the nerves that connect to the muscles, like in the following conditions:

• Spinal cord injuries.
• Polio.
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• Guillain-Barre syndrome.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome.

Symptoms of muscle atrophy

Symptoms of muscle atrophy might differ depending on the cause, and they might start within 2-3 weeks in disuse atrophy, while they could start sooner in the neurogenic one. The symptoms generally include:

• Reduced muscle mass, which is the most obvious symptom.
• Weakness in one arm or leg.
• One limb is smaller than the one on the other side.
• Problems with walking and balancing.
• Tingling or numbness in the limbs.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Facial weakness and speaking problems.
• Progressive memory loss.

Diagnosis of muscle atrophy

• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of muscle atrophy

• Treating muscle atrophy depends on the cause.
• In the physiologic type, muscle atrophy can be reversed by exercising regularly and following a healthy diet.
• Physical therapy can be used for neurogenic atrophy in some cases.