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Muscle Wasting Condition & Treatment

Muscle wasting conditions, also known as muscle atrophy conditions, can be symptoms of underlying diseases and also can be caused by immobility. Whatever the cause may be, there are several options when it comes to the treatment of muscle atrophy.

  1. Amyotophic Lateral Sclerosis

    • Amyotophic Lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a medical condition in which the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement become diseased and cease transmission of messages and impulses to the muscles of the body. As the disease worsens, muscles become weaker and begin to twitch, until moving the arms, legs or any other part of the body is impossible. Eventually the muscles that support the heart and lungs stop working, making it hard or sometimes impossible to breathe without artificial support. According to the National Library of Medicine, ALS affects about one out of every 100,000 people, and 10 percent of cases are caused by genetic defects while the rest have no known cause.

      Unfortunately, there is no cure for ALS, but there are medications that can help someone suffering from the disease. Riluzole is a drug that can help ALS patients live longer, but it is not able to stop the progression of the disease. Diazepam is taken to control spastic movements and spasms, while amitriptyline is prescribed to help in cases when the patient has trouble swallowing his own saliva. Daily physical therapy is usually part of treatment, and so is the use of braces. Artificial breathing machines are sometimes used to prolong life, as are feeding tubes to prevent malnutrition and excessive weight loss.

    Muscular Dystrophy

    • Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a term used to define a group of inherited diseases that cause muscle deterioration or weakening. In some MD diseases, all of the muscles are affected, while in others only specific groups of muscles are affected. The severity of symptoms and prognosis also vary among MD diseases; some are relatively manageable and slow progressing, while other progress rather quickly and result in death.

      As with ALS, no treatment to cure MD has been discovered. Symptom management includes the use of braces and keeping active. Inactivity in someone with MD actually can allow the muscles to deteriorate quicker. Corticosteroids are prescribed to help keep MD patients able to walk and use any muscles that have been affected. Surgery sometimes can be done on the spine or legs to help make using them much easier.

    Long-term Immobility

    • As mentioned earlier, not all muscle wasting conditions are caused by other diseases or disorders but rather by immobility or periods of little or no movement. Muscle wasting, also called muscle atrophy, is common in elderly people due to their decrease in work and exercise. Patients who are bedridden also can experience muscle atrophy if they are unable to move or refuse to move.

      Luckily, muscle atrophy due to inactivity and immobility is reversible in most cases. People with atrophied muscles begin training with a physical therapist to regain gradually the ability to move and exercise on their own. Some therapists use painless electrical stimulation to get a reaction from a muscle or group of muscles if the patient has a very difficult time making the muscles work.

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