What is Muscle Atrophy?

Do you have problems with muscle weakness and don’t really know what is the cause or how to treat it? We may be dealing with a condition called muscle atrophy. Muscle atrophy is the loss or wasting away of tissue that results in a loss of muscle strength and can adversely affect a person’s day-to-day life.

Muscule atrophy is a disease which affects the skeletal muscle´s nerve cells and, in fact, in the most severe cases, it can lead to total or partial paralysis. The muscles wear out progressively and the sufferer, as time goes by, has increasing difficulty in performing any physical activity.

Muscle atrophy is the opposite of muscle hypertrophy, the latter refers to muscle hyper-development.

If this is your case or you know someone with muscle atrophy, you should know that there are different causes and that it can be treated in a simple way. This does not mean that in all cases it can be solved, but it can be greatly improved. We’ll tell you more!

Symptoms of Muscle Atrophy

The symptoms of muscle atrophy appear according to the evolution of the muscle atrophy itself. We mean if there are no previous symptoms. On the other hand, the symptoms of muscle atrophy do not always appear in the same order; even so, there are some symptoms of muscle atrophy that we can highlight as more frequent and constant:

• Difficulty in performing basic, everyday movements.

• Feeling of weakness in the extremities.

• More frequent fatigue after low intensities of exercise or movement.

• Reduction of muscle mass in legs and arms. 

Causes of Muscle Atrophy

The origin of muscle atrophy in the muscles can be due to several causes. Determining them is not always easy, so it is best to make an appointment with your doctor so that he or she can provide you with an accurate diagnosis.

Some of the most common muscle atrophy causes are:

• Prolonged corticosteroid therapy.

• Burns.

• Rheumatoid arthritis.

• Malnutrition.

• Muscular dystrophy.

• Osteoartritis.

We would like however, to highlight two of them because of their importance: the physical inactivity and some brain diseases.

Physical inactivity

If you have to rest for a long time or if you do not use your muscles regularly, you can end up suffering from so-called physiological atrophy.

As a rule, it affects different groups of people:

• Those who are bedridden (for example, due to illness or convalescence) or who have limited movement.

• Those who are unable to move their limbs for various reasons such as brain disease, stroke, fracture.

• People whose level of physical activity is practically nil and who work sitting down. This is becoming more and more common with office and working from home.

• People who are in zero-gravity environments for long periods of time can later have difficulty moving. This is very common amongst astronauts or in space travel. 

This type of muscle atrophy can be reversed in many cases. The way to reverse this is by exercising (gradually increasing the intensity) and eating a proper diet.

Brain diseases

This type of muscle atrophy is called neurogenic and is the most severe type. It may be caused by disease or injury to the nerves that connect to the atrophied muscles. Unlike physical atrophy, which is occurs to a lack of movement, it happens more suddenly.

In addition to diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or polio, it can happen from spinal cord injuries. In addition, we would like to place special emphasis on two of these: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and peripheral nerve injuries.

ELA

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is a degenerative muscular atrophy disease of the neurons that control the movement of voluntary muscles.

Out of all ALS cases, 10% have a genetic origin, and for the rest the trigger is unknown. In either case, what happens is that the motor neurons die or wear out and therefore cannot send messages to the muscles. As a result, movements become weaker and abilities are gradually lost.

Over time ALS sufferers can experience spasms, muscle weakening and the inability to move legs, arms and the legs, arms, and the rest of the body. This condition worsens slowly and the biggest problem occurs when it affects the chest area. At this point, it is very difficult to move even the muscles in the thoracic area and this makes it very difficult or even impossible to breathe.

Nerve damage

​We have already told you that spinal cord injuries can cause muscle atrophy, but not only spinal cord injuries. Sometimes it is not the spinal cord that is injured or severed, but the peripheral nerves. This can happen after some types of tumors, or due to blows or cuts. Keep in mind that there are nerves that are located very close to the surface so it is not necessary that these cuts be extremely deep.

The peripheral nerves are responsible for communicating the brain with the rest of the body. They allow us to feel heat, cold, pain and, of course, they are also the ones that send orders from the brain to the muscles. If they get injured, crushed or cut, those orders will go nowhere.

Imagine tying a rope to a door so you can open it from the sofa. It’s all very comfortable until someone comes along and cuts it off. Then, no matter how hard you pull on it, the door won’t open. It’s the same with muscles. If the nerve has problems, no matter how hard you try to send a command to the muscle to contract, it won’t happen. As a result, when it stops receiving signals, the muscle will begin to contract on its own, causing spasms, and subsequently stop functioning.

Something different happens if that rope we were talking about is not cut, but simply damaged. We then face a nerve injury that allows the orders to reach the muscle, but the orders do not arrive correctly. The symptoms will be determined by the type of injury.

Physical activity, the best treatment for Muscle Atrophy

Different situations, such as recovering from an injury or suffering from an illness, can cause you to not use some muscles for a period of time and lose some muscle mass. In fact, you don’t have to go for a long period of time without using your muscles for a significant tissue loss to occur.

You may have to be immobilized for a few days, be on bed rest or have a cast. In all of these situations you can compromise your metabolic health. It is when the reduction in muscle mass occurs that it is attributed especially to a lower synthesis of muscle protein postprandial and post absorption.

One of the most effective solutions that can be taken in these situations to lose as little muscle mass as possible is to perform contractions by means of electrostimulation or (EMS).

EMS therapies have numerous advantages and are recommended by professional athletes, physiotherapists and doctors to prevent short-term muscle loss. Some of the benefits of this therapy are:

• To assist in rehabilitation, promote reduced movement and prevent muscle atrophy.

• Increase body strength and endurance.

• Strengthen fibers and muscles to slow or reduce deterioration.

• Toning the muscles.

Electrostimulation for Muscle Atrophy

The most frequent and relevant use of electro-stimulation in rehabilitation tends to be for atrophied muscles that are paralyzed. Knowing how to optimize electrostimulation equipment for the maximum results allows you to prevent and treat muscle atrophy and other problems such as lumbago.

If you have an injury that prevents you from moving normally, the atrophied muscles that are involved with that injury fall into disuse. As we have already seen, the consequence of not using them is that they run the risk of atrophy.

To avoid this problem, good electrostimulation equipment can be adapted to personal needs and stimulate paralyzed or unused muscles. The electro-stimulation equipment therefore, when applied correctly in rehabilitation treatments facilitates the work of the muscles involuntarily, without the patient having to move them.

What benefits can be gained from this?

Among the most important advantages of electro-stimulation are the following:

• Shorten recovery time: Using electrostimulation in rehabilitation sessions improves the well-being of patients. Preventing the onset of muscle atrophy is better than having to treat it afterwards.

• Prevents severe damage: If you already have a complicated injury, with EMS you avoid adding a bigger problem, such as atrophy. Likewise, it also helps us to avoid the chaining of additional problems in other areas of the musculature.

• Avoid bad posture: Patients who are bedridden or have poor mobility often adopt bad habits and postures to avoid further pain in the injured area. With EMS we will be improving your quality of life and we will be able to prevent chained injuries. 

In short, thanks to electrostimulation, you can avoid and prevent problems derived from muscle atrophy. If you want to be informed about related topics, subscribe to our blog.

Relieve Muscle Atrophy with Physiotherapy and Electrostimulation

As we have seen, muscle atrophy can be a debilitating condition that affects many people, especially those who have suffered injury, illness, or been immobilized for long periods of time. However, there is hope on the horizon: physiotherapy and Wiemspro electrostimulation have proven to be a highly effective combination in relieving symptoms and improving muscle function.

Physiotherapy, through specific exercises and mobilization techniques, helps to strengthen and rehabilitate the affected muscles. On the other hand, Wiemspro electrostimulation uses advanced technology to stimulate muscle fibers in a controlled manner, promoting their contraction and reactivation.

The combination of both techniques not only speeds up the recovery process, but also improves the patient’s quality of life by recovering functionality and muscle performance. In addition, this approach is highly customizable, allowing treatments to be tailored to the specific needs of each individual.

Undoubtedly, Wiemspro physiotherapy and electrostimulation are emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against muscle atrophy, offering a hopeful solution for those seeking to restore their health and well-being.

Frequently asked questions about muscle atrophy

What organ is affected by muscle atrophy?

Muscle atrophy primarily affects muscle tissue. Muscle atrophy refers to the loss of muscle mass, resulting in a decrease in muscle size and strength. It can affect any muscle in the body and can be caused by a variety of factors, including disuse, injury, neuromuscular disease, immobilization, malnutrition or aging. Muscle atrophy can have a significant impact on a person’s functional ability and may require rehabilitation and medical treatment depending on its cause and severity.

What is the difference between dystrophy and muscular atrophy?

Muscular dystrophy and muscular atrophy are two different muscle conditions with different characteristics:

Muscular dystrophy:

Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic disorders that involve progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass over time.

It is hereditary and is usually due to genetic mutations that affect the structure or function of muscle proteins.

Muscular dystrophy tends to worsen over time and can lead to serious disabilities.

It does not always involve an immediate decrease in muscle size, but manifests itself as progressive muscle weakness.

Muscular atrophy:

Muscle atrophy refers to the loss of muscle mass and muscle size due to a decrease in muscle use or stimulation.

It can be caused by various factors, such as lack of exercise, immobilization, injuries, neuromuscular diseases, malnutrition, or aging.

Muscle atrophy can be reversible if the underlying causes are addressed and appropriate therapies, such as exercise and physical therapy, are implemented.

In summary, muscular dystrophy is a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness, while muscle atrophy is the loss of muscle mass that can be caused by a variety of factors and is reversible in some cases. Both conditions affect muscle function, but have different causes and characteristics.

What is degenerative muscle atrophy?

“Degenerative muscle atrophy” is a term used to describe a condition in which the muscles of the body experience a progressive loss of mass and function due to a degenerative process. This condition can have a variety of causes, and it is important to identify the underlying cause to determine appropriate treatment and management of the disease. Some of the most common causes of degenerative muscle atrophy include:

• Neuromuscular diseases: This includes disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy, and myasthenia gravis, which can lead to muscle degeneration due to problems in the nervous system or the muscle structures themselves.

• Prolonged immobilization: Lack of use of muscles due to prolonged immobilization, such as that which occurs after an injury or surgery, can cause muscle atrophy.

• Malnutrition: Lack of essential nutrients in the diet can lead to muscle atrophy

• Aging: As people age, they often experience a gradual loss of muscle mass, known as sarcopenia, due to hormonal changes and other factors.

• Local injuries: Specific injuries to a muscle or muscle group can result in muscle atrophy in the affected area.

Degenerative muscle atrophy can manifest as weakness, loss of strength, and a decrease in muscle size. Treatment and management of this condition will depend on the underlying cause and may include physical therapy, exercise, dietary changes, medications, and in some cases, specific medical interventions to treat the root cause of muscle atrophy.

Difference between dystrophy and atrophy

Muscular dystrophy and muscular atrophy are two different muscle conditions that differ in several ways:

1. Underlying Cause:
   • Muscular Dystrophy: It is a genetic disease that is due to mutations in the genes that encode muscle proteins. These mutations affect the structure and function of muscles.
   • Muscle Atrophy: It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as disuse, immobilization, injuries, neuromuscular diseases, malnutrition, or aging. Muscle atrophy is not always related to genetic mutations.
2. Progression:
   • Muscular Dystrophy: It is usually progressive and worsens over time, with a gradual loss of muscle function and a decrease in quality of life.
   • Muscle Atrophy: May be reversible in some cases if the underlying causes are addressed. Recovery of lost muscle mass is possible with appropriate therapies, such as exercise and physical therapy.
3. Genetics:
   • Muscular Dystrophy: It is a hereditary disease and can be transmitted from parents to children.
   • Muscle Atrophy: It is generally not a genetic disease and is not directly inherited.
4. Treatment:
   • Muscular Dystrophy: Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life, since there is no definitive cure.
   • Muscle Atrophy: Treatment varies depending on the underlying cause and may include physical therapy, exercise, dietary changes, medications, and in some cases, surgery.