Back

I'm only 51-years-old but I've already started noticing how much trouble I'm having with simple things like brushing my hair or getting up and down from the table. I'm not highly active, but I'm not a couch potato either. Could there be something serious happening?

You may be experiencing the effects of muscle weakness. Muscle weakness is a fairly common problem as we get older and in those who are physically deconditioned. You don't have to be a "couch potato" to slowly lose muscle definition and strength. Another term for anything that's wrong with the muscles is myopathy (myo = muscle and pathy = pathologic or diseased). Muscle weakness or myopathy can be caused by a wide range of medical problems such as infections, endocrine diseases, muscular dystrophies, cancer, and neurologic conditions. Other causes of muscle weakness include drug toxicity, rheumatologic diseases (e.g., fibromyalgia, sarcoidosis), and vitamin deficiency. A rare cause of muscle weakness is inflammatory muscle disease including three forms: polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and inclusion body myositis. See your medical doctor before jumping to any conclusions about the seriousness of this symptom. A physical exam is the place to start. Lab tests, X-rays, or other imaging studies may be needed in order to get to the bottom of your weakness. It may turn out that all you need is a bit more exercise or different exercise regimen from your current workout.

« Back