Overview
Muscle weakness is loss of strength in a few or many muscles which may develop suddenly or gradually. It happens when the patient’s full efforts do not produce the expected, normal muscle movement.
Weakness can be caused by different injuries or disorders including stroke and spinal cord injury. Weakness is a very common complaint and, in many cases, patients mistake fatigue or functional limitations for weakness. It is worth noting that weakness of specific muscle groups can cause disorders of eye movement, dysarthria, dysphagia, or respiratory weakness. The brain sends signals through your spinal cord and nerves to the muscles causing contractions. Injuries in the brain, nervous system, muscles, or the connections between them can produce muscle weakness. Also, neurological disorders in the upper and lower motor neurons, neuromuscular junction, and muscles may cause different types of weakness. You should see a neurologist if muscle weakness, or muscle weakness with no apparent cause or normal explanation persists. It may be a sign of an underlying health condition and requires medical attention.
Symptoms
The term weakness is sometimes used loosely to describe feeling of malaise or tiredness, lack of energy, fatigue, or weariness. These are symptoms of other medical conditions such as cancer, chronic fatigue, insomnia, or heart disease for example.
Real weakness disorder symptoms include loss of balance, problems with gait or trouble doing daily tasks, such as grooming or writing with a pen. Muscle weakness may accompany other symptoms affecting the muscles including pain, twitching, paralysis, muscle spasms, frequent episodes of falling, burning feeling, loss of muscle coordination, and prickling sensation.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic – blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic – bleeding into or around the brain.
Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA) “mini-strokes” occur when the blood supply to the brain is temporarily reduced. TIAs usually last a few minutes to hours and may not cause immediate permanent injury to the brain. However, a TIA is a sign that the risk of a permanent stroke is great. TIA is considered an emergency situation and patients with TIAs should be seen immediately. Symptoms of TIA occur before the actual onset of the stroke and include a temporary numbness, weakness or tingling in one arm or leg, or problems with speech, vision or balance.
Stroke Symptoms
Stroke symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness, confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech, trouble seeing in one or both eyes, trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or severe headache with no known cause. If you are experiencing these symptoms, seek emergency medical attention.
Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury is an injury to the spinal cord which results in temporary or permanent changes in the spinal cord’s normal motor, sensory, or autonomic function.
Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms
Spinal cord injury can cause weakness, numbness, paralysis of the breathing muscles; paralysis and/or loss of feeling in all or some of the arms, legs, and trunk; and/or loss of bowel and bladder control. Spinal Cord Injuries can also cause numerous secondary conditions such as respiratory problems, pressure sores, and sometimes fatal spikes in blood pressure.
Compassionate Care
Here at the Neuro Center, We focus on understanding the underlying causes of your weakness to determine the cause and recommend the appropriate treatment.