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Prevention of Diseases of the Muscular System

The human body's muscles work in conjunction with both nerves and connective or structural tissues, and diseases can disrupt both types of functions. Neuromuscular diseases affect the nerves' ability to communicate with the muscles, while musculoskeletal diseases impair the mechanics of muscles and joints. While patients can prevent or control some musculoskeletal diseases, the genetic origins of most neuromuscular conditions make them impossible to prevent at present.

  1. Neuromuscular Diseases

    • The brain signals the muscles to contract or relax through nerve cells called neurons. Lost or distorted communication between neurons and muscles can cause progressive muscle weakness in various parts of the body. Muscular dystrophy refers to a family of related diseases that cause this kind of muscle weakness. In some cases of muscular dystrophy the heart muscle itself develops problems, according to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, which also lists multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) as nerve diseases affecting the muscles.

    Prevention

    • Neuromuscular diseases tend to have either genetic or unknown origins, making prevention impossible. New discoveries, however, bring hope to people suffering from these illnesses. ScienceDaily in 2009 reported one such breakthrough at The University of Western Australia. Researchers there developed a new gene manipulation technique called exon skipping that could treat and perhaps even prevent Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle disease previously thought incurable.

    Muskuloskeletal Diseases

    • The muscles of the human body belong to the musculoskeletal system, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and cartilage. These components must work together to support the body and allow for voluntary motion. The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States website claims that more than 25 percent of Americans struggle with some sort of musculoskeletal problem. According to Statistics Canada, the most common types of musculoskeletal diseases include arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and fibromyalgia.

    Prevention

    • Prevention of a musculoskeletal disease depends on its cause. The Arthritis Prevention website recommends regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating properly as strategies for preventing arthritis. Lupus, described by the Lupus Guild as an autominflammatory disease that attacks muscles, joints and other tissues, has genetic causes that render it impossible to prevent. Fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes pain in muscles, tendons and ligaments, has no clear cause, according to the Mayo Clinic, making prevention impossible for it as well.

    Considerations

    • Even in cases where prevention seems impossible, the proper health practices can make muscular diseases more manageable. Lupus patients can prevent flare-ups of the disease by limiting sun exposure, avoiding certain medications, exercising and keeping their flu and pneumonia vaccines up to date, according to the Lupus Guild. For fibromyalgia, the Mayo Clinic suggests avoiding stress, getting plenty of sleep and exercise, and generally taking it easy may make the disease more manageable. Maintenance of neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy, on the other hand, can only take the effect of physical therapy to combat the effects of the disease, according to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

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