A stroke occurs when your brain experiences an interruption of its blood supply. The damage caused by a stroke will depend on the severity and for how long the blood supply was cut off. Your doctor may be able to perform certain tests to determine...
Motor tics are sharp, quick muscle movements you can't control. Your body's nervous system is responsible for communicating messages about movement from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. Motor nerves, in particular, manage the...
Yohimbe is an herbal remedy that's most often used in traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac, but it's also marketed as a substitute for steroids to improve athletic performance. Although you might take yohimbe to help treat sexual dysfunction,...
Temporary joint paralysis occurs when an individual loses muscle function for a short period of time. It is not only scary and stressful for a child to deal with, but treatment can also be challenging since several different conditions can cause...
Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases in which your muscle gradually become weaker. As a result of the muscle weakness, your mobility, breathing and other bodily functions become impaired. There is no cure for MD, and the disease can be...
Potassium serves vital functions throughout the body, but very little of the mineral should be circulating in your blood. Having a high blood potassium level is called hyperkalemia, and kidney disease is the leading cause of this condition. Yet...
Certain minerals and vitamins from foods or supplements may help prevent muscle cramping. Muscle cramps most often occur in the back of the lower leg or calf, the back of the thigh and the front of the thigh. You can also get muscle cramps in your...
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation reports that nearly 6 million people are living with paralysis. Paralysis occurs when a group of muscles fails to move on its own. Stroke, spinal cord and nerve injuries are some of the primary causes of...
Higher-than-normal levels of potassium in the blood, a condition known as hyperkalemia, may cause serious complications. Potassium is an important mineral involved in muscle function, digestion and metabolism. The normal blood level for potassium...
According to MedlinePlus, sciatica is a condition where the patient complains of pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in the leg. It is a symptom of a medical problem, which occurs when the sciatic nerve gets compressed or injured. The sciatic...
Muscle strains, more commonly known as pulled muscles, involve the stretching or tearing of the muscle fiber. These can occur in the belly of the muscle or the muscle tendon. A sudden increase in muscle pressure or an awkward movement can result...
Electrolytes such as potassium have many important roles in the human body. Not getting enough potassium can cause you to feel tired and worn down, making it harder for you to stay active enough to lose weight effectively. Although supplemental...
Sodium is the highest mineral outside your cells in your body. This is because it is responsible for a number of functions in your body, including maintaining the sodium-potassium pump exchange, which is responsible for generating energy in your...
Iodine is a mineral that's found naturally in your body, but you need to consume more to ensure that your body has enough. Most of it is found in your thyroid gland, but some of it is found in other areas, including your muscles. The main...
Potassium is a mineral that helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. Potassium is also responsible for proper heart function and the contraction of muscles. Potassium is in a variety of foods, including meats, some fish, fruits,...
A nerve can be irritated or pinched from the surrounding muscle or bone from varying conditions, such as incorrect posture, overuse, aging, obesity, heredity, trauma or injury. The C5 nerve, located in the neck, is the nerve commonly associated...
Muscle function testing is useful in determining the proper function, strength and endurance of muscles or muscle groups in the body. Often performed in medical or clinical settings, muscle function tests are generally performed on patients or...
Motor vehicle accidents, falls, high contact sports accidents and acts of violence are the most common causes of paralysis. These traumas can cause a broken neck or broken back and damage the spinal cord, which in turn causes paralysis. The...
Maintaining nutritional health is important to a person with multiple sclerosis (MS). The disease causes the immune system to deteriorate nerve endings in the body, which in turn affects the brain and the spinal cord. Symptoms vary but may include...
You may find your self in a debate about whether walking burns the same calories as running. The results show that running can burn a little more calories than walking, but not a very significant amount when the speeds are similar. Running at...
The recommended dietary intake of potassium, 4.7 g or higher, is more than adequately provided through the many foods that contain potassium, according to Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Lowered potassium levels...
Skeletal muscle is a highly durable tissue that allows you to perform daily tasks such as breathing, walking and other routine activities. When muscle becomes damaged, either by trauma or exercised-induced injury, you experience pain. Painful...
Creatine is a nutritional supplement that is primarily used to increase muscle size and strength in athletes, but may also have implications in the treatment and rehabilitation of stroke victims. A stroke is the result of a blood clot blocking a...
Hamstring muscle strains are common injuries that occur during normal athletic movements, such as running, jumping and kicking. Three muscles make up the hamstring muscle group: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Each muscle...
Young children typically demonstrate a "start-stop" pattern of activity, where one moment they are going at top speed, followed by a period of utter exhaustion. It's normal for this pattern to repeat several times per day, according to Dr. Trisha...
Seventy percent of your body is water, and a loss of only 2 percent will cause you to become dehydrated. If you're running a fever, your temperature depletes vital moisture from your cells. That is why it is so important to drink plenty of water...
According to Medline Plus, Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that impact a child's motor skills, muscle development, coordination and posture. According to the UCSF Children's Hospital, 80 to 90 percent of affected children acquire...
A stroke is caused when the flow of blood to a part of the brain is disrupted. This disruption of the blood supply can rapidly lead to damage to nerve cells as they run out of energy. In some cases, a stroke can be extremely debilitating, even...
Protein is a macronutrient that provides the body with energy. It is an essential component of every cell, tissue and organ. Protein in food is broken down into amino acids, or building blocks used to repair and replenish the body. Protein helps...
