The main function of the muscular system is to provide movement for the body. They muscular system is made up of three types of muscles: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. Skeletal muscle is the voluntary muscle whose movement can be controlled, smooth...
The muscular system is composed of more than 600 muscles that serve varying functions in the human body. There are several diseases that can affect the muscular system. The broad categories of these conditions include infection, weakness, injury,...
There are many diseases that can cause muscle wasting, or atrophy. While a person can often adapt to muscle atrophy, even mild localized forms can cause decreased movement or strength. Medical evaluation is warranted for unexplained or long-term...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a chronic neuromuscular disease that attacks nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord. When these nerve cells are destroyed, they can no longer send messages to...
Polymyositis is a condition involving long-term muscle inflammation and progressive muscle weakness. It usually develops in people between the ages of 31 and 60 and is extremely rare in individuals under the age of 18. Certain dietary practices...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of Americans are affected by seasonal flu each year. Most people with the flu, including 2009 H1N1 flu or "swine flu", do not need medical care. However, sometimes flu...
Dystrophin is a protein in muscle cells that gives them strength and structure. In some forms of muscular dystrophy, the protein is dysfunctional, leading to partial muscle damage. The patient may experience mild muscular weakness. In other forms...
A wide variety of diseases affect the muscular system. Genetic disorders, such as the muscular dystrophies, typically present in children. Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as polymyositis and myasthenia gravis, usually are of adult...
If your foot slaps the ground while walking or running, you may have foot drop, which is caused by a weakness or paralysis of the muscles used to lift the front part of the foot. There are several different causes of this problem and they are...
Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells erroneously attack the tissues lining the joints. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), approximately 1.3 million...
Neurological disorders affect the brain, spinal cord and nerves, which make up the nervous system. Body functions are managed by the nervous system, so damage to a part of the nervous system may cause difficulties with movement, thinking,...
The muscular system is responsible for all body movement. More than 600 muscles in the body aid in voluntary bodily movement, heart rate, pumping of blood and digestion, according to Kids Health. The muscular system is composed of skeletal muscle,...
If you are having shoulder pain and think it might be associated with the cholesterol-lowering drugs you are taking, you might be right. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, have been linked to muscle and joint pain in about 10 percent of...
A diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a dire one indeed, since the central nervous system disease not only progressively robs patients of their ability to walk, speak and swallow, but...
Muscular dystrophy is a collection of over 30 genetic diseases that involve muscle degeneration and loss of movement. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that the most common type is Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a...
Low potassium syndrome, or hypokalemia, is a medical condition that occurs when the amount of potassium in your blood falls below 3.5 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L. Without proper levels of potassium in your blood, your muscles and nerves...
Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a debilitating neurological condition causing progressive muscle weakness and disability. According to the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke, more than 90 percent of...
Pravastatin sodium, known as the brand Pravachol, is a prescription medication for lowering cholesterol. Pravastatin is classified as a statin drug; it slows the production of cholesterol in the body. Although most people tolerate pravastatin...
ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a disease of progressive muscle weakness which occurs due to the destruction of motor neuron cells in the nervous system. Without these neurons, the brain is unable to send information to muscles....
DNA is made up of a series of chemicals called nucleotide bases, which link together to form strands of DNA. These strands pair with other DNA strands to form a structure called the double helix. The sequence of nucleotide bases comprises...
Creatine is an amino acid that helps build protein. Protein helps strengthen muscles and tissues, encourages healthy immune system functioning and promotes growth. Though you can get creatine and protein through your diet, you can also take these...
Numerous health effects or conditions are associated with calcinosis or calcium deposits under the skin. According to the Arthritis Foundation, calcinosis is the medical term for calcium deposits that can form under the skin or in the muscles....
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurological disease, causing paralysis and muscle weakness. It is eventually fatal. The disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and the...
Amyotrophic neuropathy, which is more commonly known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and is also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological condition that causes progressive nerve dysfunction. This condition typically affects...
Red yeast rice is a dietary supplement marketed to lower cholesterol. Some, but not all, of red yeast rice products available in the U.S. contain monacolin K, a natural yeast compound chemically identical to lovastatin. Labels do not state...
There are several serious complications that can be caused by intervertebral disc ruptures, or herniations. According to MedlinePlus, a herniated disc occurs when a portion of a spinal disc—the nucleus pulposus—is forced through the...
Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic, hereditary diseases that are progressive in nature. These diseases generally involve more than your muscles; in fact they may affect your cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems....
Child myositis, more commonly referred to as juvenile myositis, is an autoimmune disorder characterized by long-lasting inflammation of the muscle tissues. This condition affects approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children under the age of 18 in the...
Many diseases can cause pain and muscle aches. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, muscle aches and pains are a common health complaint and can involve one or more muscles. The NIH states that,...
Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary muscular disease that causes progressive muscle weakness. Get expert tips and advice on diagnosing and treating muscular dystrophy in this video.
