Any motion, whether we are conscious of it or not, depends on muscles. We rely on our muscles to move throughout the motions of everyday life. Without muscles, our bodies would not be able to function properly.
Muscle disorders, also known as myopathy, can create difficulty for those dealing with certain muscular diseases.
1. Injury or overuse, such as sprains or strains, cramps or tendinitis
2. A genetic disorder, such as muscular dystrophy, storage myopathies, mitochondrial diseases, periodic paralysis and congenital myopathies
3. Some cancers
4. Fibromyalgia
5. Inflammatory myopathy includes the illnesses polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis, overlap myositis, and necrotizing autoimmune myopathy.
6. Metabolic and Endocrine myopathy- Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism
7. Infections- influenza, coxsackievirus, and Lyme disease
8. Drug Induced - statin drugs, hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), colchicine, and steroids.
1. Weakness and Fatigue: muscle weakness tends to be progressive and involves muscles located near the hip or shoulder
2. Trouble Moving: difficulty moving, such as walking, running, climbing stairs, or attempting to stand from a seated position
3. Trouble with Shoulder Muscles: difficulty in using shoulder muscles, such as lifting or carrying heavy loads, reaching above the head, or holding heavy items
4. Muscle Atrophy: shrinking muscle mass
5. Pain: defects in blood circulation, injury, or inflammation may cause pain in the muscles
1. Electromyography (EMG)
2. MRI of the Musculoskeletal System
3. Needle Biopsy
Treatment mainly depends on underlying etiology. Most of the genetic disorders have no specific treatment while inflammatory muscle disease have option of immunomodulatory treatment.