Muscle and Bone Diseases

Muscles and bones provide the body with several of its most basic functions, including movement, stability, balance and circulation. Diseases that hinder one of more of these functions can therefore impair health and living. A few of the more significant bone and muscle diseases are listed here along with the associated symptoms and treatments.

Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that causes them to become porous, spongy and brittle. There are no symptoms besides this, but brittle bones break and fracture with much greater ease than normal bones. Individuals with osteoporosis are at a much higher risk of damaging their bones and developing chronic pain, immobility and bruising. There is no direct cause of osteoporosis, but factors like smoking cigarettes, chemotherapy and poor nutrition will increase an individual's risk of developing it.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by an inflammation of the bone joints, known as the synovium. It is accompanied by joint stiffness, redness, warmth, fatigue and pain. In extreme cases, rheumatoid arthritis may cause bone joints to lose their function and mobility. It is considered an autoimmune disease; the body's immune system chooses to attack and destroy healthy join tissue as opposed to foreign pathogens. The direct cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known, but its origin is assumed to be both genetic and hereditary.

Fibromyalgia

• Fibromyalgia is a disease of muscles and joints that causes constant or chronic pain. It occurs in most areas of the body, including the neck, buttocks, arms and chest. Pain usually stems from a hypersensitivity to certain stimuli coupled with an abnormally low pain threshold. Pain can be aggravated by several stimuli, including noise and stress, and often responds through "trigger points" (sensitive areas of the body that respond painfully to touch and pressure). The cause of fibromyalgia is currently unknown.

Muscular Dystrophy

• This is a term widely used to describe a group of muscular diseases. It causes muscles to gradually become weaker over time, often being replaced by fatty tissue in the latter stages. Symptoms include an inability to relax the muscles, poor coordination, stiffness, crippling, fatigue and lung complications caused by weakened respiratory muscles. The cause of muscular dystrophy (one or more defective genes or chromosomes) is passed on from the parents to a child and is considered entirely inheritable.

Treatment

• The aforementioned diseases are all chronic, dangerous complications that may result in severe pain, loss of mobility and death. Treatment should be a primary objective if you contract any of these diseases. Depending on the disease and its severity, treatment will include physical therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, assistive devices like wheelchairs, prescription medication, local injections of analgesics or exercise. Speak with your doctor or a therapist to determine the proper course of action, especially if you are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms.