Pregnancy SmartSite^TM

• Home
• Email
• Site Map
• Contact

• Normal Pregnancy
• Labor & Delivery
• Complications
• After Your Child Is Born

Normal Pregnancy

Staying Healthy

Alcohol and pregnancy Managing your weight gain in pregnancy Steps to take before you get pregnant When you need to gain more weight during pregnancy

What to expect during pregnancy

Aches and pains during pregnancy Choosing the right practitioner Common symptoms during pregnancy Hyperemesis Gravidarum Morning sickness Pregnancy and travel Pregnancy and work Problems sleeping during pregnancy Skin and hair changes during pregnancy Teenage pregnancy

Preparing to go home with your baby

Cribs and crib safety Eat right during pregnancy Preparing your other children

Visits and Tests

Amniocentesis Chorionic villus sampling Genetic counseling before pregnancy Glucose tolerance test-pregnancy Monitoring your baby before labor Nuchal translucency Prenatal care in your first trimester Prenatal care in your second trimester Prenatal care in your third trimester

Muscle disorder

Definition

A muscle disorder causes patterns of weakness, loss of muscle tissue, electromyogram (EMG) findings, or biopsy results that suggest a muscle problem. The muscle disorder can be inherited, such as muscular dystrophy, or acquired, such as alcoholic or steroid myopathy.

The medical name for muscle disorder is myopathy.

Symptoms

The main symptom is weakness.

Other symptoms include cramps and stiffness.

Exams and Tests

Your health care provider will take your medical history and perform a neurological exam. Tests that may be ordered include:

• Blood and urine tests

• Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS)

• Muscle biopsy

• Genetic tests to look for conditions that run in families. This can be tested with blood work or sometimes saliva testing.

A muscle biopsy examines a tissue sample under a microscope to confirm disease. Sometimes, a blood or saliva test to check for a genetic disorder is all that is needed based on someone's symptoms and family history.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause. It usually includes:

• Bracing

• Medicines (such as corticosteroids in some cases)

• Enzyme replacement therapy

• Gene replacement therapy

• Physical, respiratory, and occupational therapies

• Preventing the condition from getting worse by treating the underlying condition causing the muscle weakness

• Surgery (sometimes)

Your health care provider can tell you more about your condition and treatment options.

References

Borg K, Ensrud E. Myopathies. In: Frontera WR, Silver JK, Rizzo TD Jr, eds. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 136.

Doughty CT, Amato AA. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 109.

Selcen D. Muscle diseases. In: Goldman L, Cooney K, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 389.

Review Date: 12/31/2023

Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.