The common symptoms of polymyositis include: Muscle pain and stiffness. Muscle weakness, particularly in the belly (abdomen), shoulders, upper arms, and hips. Joint pain and stiffness.
Myositis (my-o-SY-tis) is a rare type of autoimmune disease that inflames and weakens muscle fibers. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's own immune system attacks itself. In the case of myositis, the immune system attacks healthy muscle tissue, which results in inflammation, swelling, pain, and eventual weakness.
Muscle stiffness often arises after changing exercise routines, overusing muscles, or being physically inactive for long periods of time. Otherwise, muscle stiffness can be caused by an underlying condition, including myopathy, neuromuscular disorders, and neurologic disorders.
Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare acquired neurological disorder characterized by progressive muscle stiffness (rigidity) and repeated episodes of painful muscle spasms. Muscular rigidity often fluctuates (i.e., grows worse and then improves) and usually occurs along with the muscle spasms.
Types of neuromuscular disorders include: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Multiple sclerosis.
The main symptoms are weak, painful or aching muscles. This usually gets worse, slowly over time. You may also trip or fall a lot, and be very tired after walking or standing. If you have any of these symptoms you should see a GP.
Definition. Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, progressive neurological disorder. Symptoms may include stiff muscles in the trunk (torso), arms, and legs; and greater sensitivity to noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms.
The muscle weakness associated with polymyositis involves the muscles closest to the trunk, such as those in your hips, thighs, shoulders, upper arms and neck. The weakness affects both the left and right sides of your body, and tends to gradually worsen.
Massage, ultrasound, stretching, physical therapy, trigger point injections can all provide relief of tight muscle or muscle spasm but the relief is usually only temporary.
Get immediate medical care if you have muscle pain with:
Trouble breathing or dizziness. Extreme muscle weakness. A high fever and stiff neck.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own neuromuscular connections. This causes problems with communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness. MG affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially the eyes, mouth, throat, and limbs.
Rhabdomyolysis can be a life-threatening condition caused by muscle breakdown and muscle death. This dangerous muscle damage can result from overexertion, trauma, toxic substances or disease. As muscle cells disintegrate, they release a protein called myoglobin into the blood.
What is the life expectancy of a patient with stiff person syndrome? The life expectancy for people with SPS ranges from 6 to 28 years from the onset of the condition.
A simple remedy for stiffness
To break up long stretches of sitting, set a timer on your phone or computer to remind you to move around every 20 to 30 minutes. Walk around your home or neighborhood, do some household chores, or even a quick set of lunges or marching in place for a minute.
In some cases, spasms are so severe they can cause falls, broken bones, and dislocated joints. While this rare condition is not fatal, its symptoms can dramatically affect a person's quality of life. When we say stiff person syndrome is rare, that is an understatement; it affects one in a million people.
Sedimentation Rate (also called erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] or sed rate) measures swelling and inflammation of the muscles. Doctors use the sed rate to watch the progress of the muscle inflammation.
Muscle and skin biopsy are often the most definitive way to diagnose myositis diseases. Small samples of muscle tissue show abnormalities in muscles, including inflammation, damage, and abnormal proteins. For those with skin symptoms, doctors often biopsy a bit of skin to examine for characteristic abnormalities.
After a careful history and physical exam to document the pattern of weakness in muscles, a doctor who suspects myositis likely will order a blood test to check the level of creatine kinase (CK), an enzyme that leaks out of muscle fibers when the fibers are being damaged. In PM, the CK level is usually very high.
Stretching is a great way to help loosen tight muscles, as it can help keep us flexible and moving freely. As well, regular stretching has been shown to minimize the amount of pain you may experience throughout various areas of the body. Stretching can apply to various parts of the body that experience tightness.
It's absolutely possible for muscles to be chronically tight, says Theresa Marko, DPT and board-certified clinical specialist in orthopeadics at Marko Physical Therapy in New York City.
Rheumatologist. A rheumatologist is a healthcare provider who specializes in the treatment of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases that may affect joints, muscles, bones, skin, and other tissues.