Muscular atrophy can be disabling on its own. But atrophy of the muscles is usually the byproduct of another problem occurring in the body. Although muscle atrophy can occur in anyone regardless of age, children in particular can be afflicted by...
Lou Gehrig's disease, clinically known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the motor neurons resulting in the loss of muscle function. Lou Gehrig's disease is characterized by the deterioration of...
Muscle twitching refers to movements that affect only a certain region of the body. MedlinePlus says that muscle twitches occur when the muscle contracts. These muscle contractions can be normal or they may be a sign of a medical problem....
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a loss of muscle function as a result of nerve deterioration. ALS affects a subset of cells known as motor neurons. These...
Muscular diseases in babies are generally progressive. Babies may appear normal at birth but then are unable to meet expected milestones or regress in development. Muscular diseases can affect muscles that are vital for sustaining life.
Neuromuscular disorders are a group of conditions where extensive damage to the nerves occur, according to the National Institutes of Health. When the nerves die, the communication between the patient's nervous system and muscles are disrupted....
Spinal muscular atrophy, also known as SMA, can cause progressive muscle weakness and disability that normally starts in childhood. Less-severe forms of the disease can occur in adulthood. Nutritional issues arise in SMA, particularly in people...
Clubfoot, scientifically known as talipes equinovarus, is the most common birth defect of otherwise healthy babies, according to the UCSF Children's Hospital. Although the specific cause of clubfoot is not completely understood, genetics is a...
Motor neurons are nerves that send signals to the muscles. In motor neuron diseases, there are fewer nerves to send these signals. Infants with motor neuron disease have a hard time breathing, sucking and even swallowing. Their muscles and tongue...
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a form of motor neuron disease. These diseases share in common the progressive degeneration and death of the motor neurons--nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain that enable muscle movement. Symptoms...
Muscle twitches, also known as fasciculations, occur commonly in healthy people. Often these twitches have no known cause. Sometimes caffeine or stress can make them worse, as MedlinePlus explains. Twitches can come and go, and usually don't last...
According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, motor neuron diseases are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy cells that control muscle activity, including speaking, walking, breathing, and...
Children have the natural desire and energy to go full-tilt all day long, so it's a cause for concern when your child complains of weakness or appears lethargic. See your doctor immediately when symptoms of weakness in the back and other major...
Spinal muscular atrophy is one of the genetic conditions that's closest to an effective treatment or cure, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The potential for treating this disabling and potentially deadly disease is based on...
While apoptosis means suicide or self-destruction for the cell, it is absolutely necessary; without it, damaged and unwanted cells would not be eliminated, and tumor cells would be able to develop and escape from the immune system. But tumor cells...
The nervous system provides a communications network for the brain to send messages to the muscles and organs of the body, and for the body to send information back to the brain. An elaborate web of sensory nerves enables people to see, hear,...
Motor neuron diseases destroy the nerves that control muscles. Muscle control originates from the brain, and consists of nerve impulses that travel through two neurons to reach the muscles. The upper motor neuron starts in the brain and sends...
Muscle wasting is a debilitating condition in children that may result in loss of mobility, severe pain, cognitive impairment and a shortened lifespan, according to the "Merck Manual Home Health Handbook." A number of conditions may trigger...
Degenerative nerve disease is a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition. Also referred to as neurodegenerative disease, the deterioration of the nerves greatly affects the body's activities: balance, movement, heart function, talking and...
While there are a host of possible causes for twitching bicep muscles, in many cases, the twitching is brought on by heavy exercise. Considering the many targeted bicep isolation exercises that exist, the bicep muscles can easily become overworked...
Muscle twitches can be the result of various factors, weight loss being one of them. Although weight loss does not directly cause muscle twitches, several by-products of losing weight can cause these muscular contractions to occur, including...
In early stages, the progressive muscle disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, causes weakness, slurred speech, muscle cramps and twitching. As the disease progresses and muscles waste away, movement,...
A hip subluxation is a condition in which the hip joint is partially, but not fully, dislocated. The causes of hip subluxation can vary and include athletic trauma or overuse, postural strain, and congenital conditions that lead to improper...
Muscle twitches or spasms occur when a muscle contracts quickly and repeatedly. Twitches are involuntary muscle contractions and while some are noticeable, there are many that you don't feel. Muscle twitching, meantime, is grouped into two...
The polio virus invades the nervous system through direct person-to-person contact. The virus lives in the phlegm or feces of an infected person and enters via the mouth or nose. The polio virus causes devastating physical effects, often resulting...
Experiencing muscle twitches after exercising or stretching is a common response that occurs in the body, especially for individuals who participate in strenuous and endurance exercises. Medline Plus explains that muscle twitching is caused by...
If you are having trouble lifting your toes, tend to drag your foot when walking or find yourself tripping as you step you may have foot drop. Foot drop is a symptom that is the result of an underlying medical condition. It can be permanent or...
Posture is the position that you hold your body in while seated, standing or lying down. Training the body to stand, walk, lie and sit straight helps eliminate the strain placed on the ligaments and muscles surrounding the back. Many conditions of...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a degenerative condition that systematically destroys the neurons responsible for voluntary movement, according to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. There are an estimated 5,000...
