Muscular Diseases

Muscles are responsible for your posture, conscious movement, facial expressions, and they also facilitate most of the heat production needed to maintain body temperature. Muscles account for nearly 40 percent of a person's total body weight so it's extremely important to the overall health of the body to make sure your muscles are free of some of the illnesses and disorders that can befall them.

Fibromyalgia

• Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes chronic pain in the tendons, muscles, ligaments. It also creates places on the body exceptionally sensitive to the touch. The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown but it's believed to be linked to genetics and in some cases, traumatic events or infections seem to bring on the disease.

  The main symptom of fibromyalgia is dull aching that originates in the muscles. Tender spots are often located on the back of the head, upper chest, and inner knees. Medications like Tylenol are prescribed for pain associated with fibromyalgia and physical therapy is used to recreate muscle equilibrium.

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome

• Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is a neuromuscular condition caused by exercise. It's rare but can cause swelling, pain, and even disability in the leg muscles. CEC syndrome is most common in the lower legs but it can also appear in the arms and thighs. Pressure buildup in the compartments of the muscle compresses the blood vessels and nerves in the affected area.

  Some of the more conservative treatments for CEC syndrome include pain medication, stretching, and massage. Surgery is the most effective treatment method and involves removing the fascia, an inelastic covering for the muscle compartments. This allows the compartments to expand if pressure increases.

Muscular Dystrophy

• Muscular dystrophy describes a group of diseases that cause muscles to become progressively weaker due to abnormally delicate muscle fibers. Muscular dystrophy is caused by a genetic mutation or defective gene. The most common form of muscular dystrophy is caused by a lack of dystrophin, a muscle protein.

  The primary symptom of muscular dystrophy, regardless of the type, is a progressive weakness in the muscles. There is no cure for MD but physical therapy to maintain joint flexibility and medications to control stiffness are common treatments.

Dermatomyositis

• Dermatomyositis is an inflammatory disease that causes weak muscles, difficulty swallowing and purple colored skin rashes. An infection by viruses or bacteria can lead to dermatomyositis but in some cases, no preceding infection can be found. Corticosteroids are administered to suppress the immune system reducing antibody production and muscle strength. In addition to the use of corticosteroids, anti-rejection medications used in transplant cases are also used to suppress the immune system.

Polymyositis

• Polymyositis often affects adults between the ages of 30 and 50 and is characterized by muscle weakness and inflammation. Polymyositis, like dermatomyositis, is thought to be caused by a bacterial or viral infection but in some instances, no infection is involved.

  Unlike dermatomyositis, polymyositis is a disease of connective tissue and does not effect the skin. The treatments for dermatomyositis and polymyositis are similar, however treatment for polymyositis may also include seeing a dietician to recommend foods that are easy to eat if your polymyositis makes swallowing difficult.