Long-term immobility in persons disabled by paralysis or physical conditions that prevent them from moving an arm, a leg or other part of the body, may result in increased disability and complications. If you don't move your muscles, they eventually lose their tone, bulk and strength. Ligaments and tendons also are affected by nonuse. It's important to move disabled muscles, even if someone else has to make that movement for you. Doing so prevents a number of additional medical complications.
Passive Range of Motion
Unused muscles slowly lose their strength, flexibility and range of motion. Disabled individuals unable to use their arms or legs must nevertheless ensure that those muscles are exercised through passive range of motion, which prevents muscles from contracting. Passive range of motion exercises are performed by someone other than yourself. Passive range of motion exercises maintain joint function, muscle tone and stretching of tendons and ligaments.
Contractures
Contractures involve long-unused or paralyzed muscles, ligaments and tendons that slowly contract inward toward the body. Contractures make the arm or leg stiff and difficult to move. The muscles in unused arm slowly shorten through inactivity. As the muscles shorten, the angle between joints also shortens. The wrist slowly creeps upward toward the shoulder, the hand grows deformed and the wrist, elbow and shoulder joint so stiff it's difficult to straighten the arm or exercise it because of extreme pain. Contractures also may cause limb or torso deformity.
Atrophy
Atrophy describes the slow yet gradual loss of muscle tissue. Atrophy caused by total lack of movement or exercise in a limb is common in bedridden individuals or those disabled or paralyzed by accident or disease processes. You also may experience neurogenic atrophy, caused by a damaged, torn or severed nerve that serves a part of your body. Lack of communication between the brain and the muscle or muscles the nerve serves result in a gradual wasting away of that particular muscle or group of muscles.
Circulation
Movement promotes circulation and circulation ensures that oxygen reaches all muscles and tissues in your body, whether you're performing the movement or someone else is. Without oxygen delivered by your blood, cellular structures in your muscle tissues, ligaments and tendons slowly die. As cells die, tissues also die. Tissues restricted of oxygen then become breeding grounds for bacteria, which may lead to deep tissue infection and conditions such as gangrene or bedsores. Such conditions often require amputation.
