Atrophy is when a body part or tissue becomes smaller or degenerates. Cerebral atrophy, for example, affects the brain and involves a loss of nerve cells related to diseases like multiple sclerosis. The most known type of atrophy is muscle atrophy, which may occur from muscle disuse. An exercise program can improve muscle atrophy and help to reverse the condition.
Muscle Atrophy
Muscle atrophy can be caused by medical conditions that leave a person bedridden or unable to function at an activity level that maintains muscle. It can also be caused by sedentary jobs or lifestyles that limit muscle use. For example, astronauts can develop muscle atrophy after just a few days of weightlessness. To treat this type of atrophy, doctors may recommend a supervised exercise program to build muscle. Exercises can be done with assistance from a therapist or caregiver if necessary.
Neurogenic Atrophy
Neurogenic atrophy is a more severe form of muscle atrophy. Neurogenic atrophy may occur suddenly and results from an injury to or disease of the nerve. Some diseases that affect nerves include multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis --- Lou Gehrig's disease --- Guillain-Barre syndrome and polio. Unlike muscle atrophy, neurogenic atrophy can't usually be reversed with exercise as there is actual damage to the nerve. Some types of therapy help with atrophy, such as Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation causing involuntary muscle contractions.
Exercise Types
Several types of exercises can be done to benefit a person with muscle atrophy. Passive exercises are done for a person by a therapist or caregiver if a person cannot do exercises himself. Passive exercises don't strengthen or build muscles, as there is no voluntary action, but they help with flexibility and joint movement. Active exercises do strengthen muscles and are necessary to preserve muscle mass. A water aerobics program is beneficial because water is supportive and you are exercising muscles. Resistive exercises are active exercises that involve pulling or pushing against a force, like when lifting light weights. Isometric exercises involve contracting and relaxing a muscle to improve strength while the body part is in a fixed position. An example of an isometric exercise is resisting an opposing force while resting your arm or leg on a surface. Exercise programs should be medically supervised by a therapist or doctor.
Other Types of Atrophy and Exercise
Muscle atrophy is the most well-known type of atrophy to be positively affected with exercise. However, numerous ongoing studies demonstrates that exercise benefits other types of atrophy. For example, Jeffrey Burns, M.D., the director of the Alzheimer and Memory Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center, communicated information about exercise and brain growth in Alzheimer's patients. Burns indicated that the section of the brain involved with memory grew in size in patients who took regular brisk walks for exercise for a year. Talk to your doctor about the latest research proving how exercise may benefit certain types of atrophy.
References
- Encyclopedia Brittanica; Atrophy; 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Muscle Atrophy; November 2011
- My-MS.org: Muscular and Cerebral Atrophy
- Nursing Fundamentals - I; "Active and Passive Range-of-Motion Exercises"; 2007
- The University of Kansas Medical Center; Cecking In; Barbara Atkinson, M.D.; February 2011
