Monday

Muscle Diseases. Dystrophy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Muscle Diseases are essentially diseases affecting muscles that control various body movements in the human body. Muscle Diseases are further divided into primary and secondary muscle diseases. All disorders/diseases of muscles that are a direct result of abnormalities in the muscles, whether acquired or congenital, are called Primary Muscle Diseases. Muscle Diseases that are essentially a manifestation or symptom of another disease are grouped as Secondary Muscle Diseases. The most quoted example of Secondary Muscle Diseases is that of neuromuscular disorders wherein the main cause of the problem is impaired neurological function, i.e. problems in the conduction of electrical impulses from the nerves to skeletal muscles. This causes impaired muscular movements, i.e. a secondary result to the main, neurological problem. Many healthcare practitioners tend to use the term ‘muscle diseases’ when referring to neuromuscular diseases also since neuromuscular diseases form the larger portion of all muscle diseases decoded until now. Further, most muscular disorders exhibit typical, Neuromuscular Disorder Symptoms such as uncoordinated muscle movement apart from twitching, cramping, pain and inflammation of the muscles. Some typical Muscle Diseases have been discussed below:


Commonly Understood Muscle Diseases: Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular Dystrophy is perhaps the most understood of muscle diseases. It is also referred to as a muscular disorder. Muscular Dystrophy is a hard-to-manage, chronic condition that refers to a larger group of muscle diseases that are inherited, i.e. it’s genetic in nature. Patients suffering from muscular dystrophy show progressively degenerative symptoms that includes weakness of voluntary muscles. For instance, FSH or Facio-scapulo-humeral Muscular Dystrophy mainly affects the face, arms and shoulders. As a result, the patient’s face develops a strange, asymmetrical configuration along with difficult in closing the eyes, problems in pronouncing words, trouble in freely moving the shoulders, reduced muscle mass along the upper back/shoulder area and weak musculature in the upper arm.

Lesser Understood Muscle Diseases: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is actually an illness that causes chronic and severe tiredness or fatigue-like condition in the patient, often rendering him almost disabled. Patients of CFS suffer from unexplained and intense mental and physical exertion upon the slightest of mental/physical efforts. Such people often complain of strains or pains in their body that cannot be medically verified, such as severe stiffness in the joints without an imaging study indicating any pathological condition. CFS is among the lease understood of Muscle Diseases and is found to be more prevalent in certain genders and age-groups. It is seen more among people between the age of 15 and 20 years and those between the age of 33 and 45 years. CFS is usually found among women. It is generally believed that CFS is caused by a viral infection of the muscles. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is often grouped under primary, secondary and other types of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is mainly because its pathology is not very clear. It is often suspected that CFS could be due to emotional stress or depression too.. However, infection by the Epstein-Barr virus or Herpes Virus-6 is deemed to be the most probable cause.


Typical Muscle Diseases: Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Fibromyalgia or FMS refers to a group of symptoms among which pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints is the primary syndrome. Such patients tend to develop certain trigger points in their body, such as the knee joints, that are abnormally sensitive to touch. Fibromyalgia is predominantly seen among women and though it is often said that this is because of the usually low bone density levels found among women, FMS doesn’t have a direct correlation with bone density levels. Fibromyalgia is regarded as a typical secondary muscle disease, usually precipitated by other health problems like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, spondylosis or even mental exhaustion.