Weakness

What is weakness?

Weakness occurs when your muscles are no longer able to lift or resist as they once could. For example, you might notice that the bottle of orange juice in the fridge feels like it weighs 50 pounds.

Weakness is different from fatigue in that it often indicates a potentially serious underlying health problem. Almost everyone feels fatigued on occasion, but weakness is much less common.

What are the symptoms of weakness?

Common symptoms of weakness include:

• Delayed or slow movement
• Uncontrollable shaking or tremors
• Muscle twitching
• Muscle cramps
• Full body fatigue
• Pain in the affected area
• Falls
• Dropping things
• Foot drop

Depending on the underlying cause, you might also experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, or dizziness. If you develop any of these symptoms, contact South Valley Neurology right away.

What are some common causes of weakness?

Weakness occurs for a variety of reasons, but the team at South Valley Neurology focuses on the neurological causes, including:

• Stroke
• Subdural hematomas (brain bleed)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neuromuscular disorders
• Parkinson’s disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

You might also experience weakness due to Guillain-Barré syndrome. Guillain-Barré syndrome is caused by a bacterial or viral infection that attacks the peripheral nervous system.

How is weakness diagnosed?

To diagnose weakness, your South Valley Neurology provider conducts a physical and neurological exam and asks about your symptoms, including when they began and their severity.

Next, they may order laboratory panels, including blood tests and urinalysis. The laboratory technicians analyze your samples for signs of an infection or possible medical conditions known to cause muscle weakness.

If these measures don’t pinpoint the source of your discomfort, the doctors may also order diagnostic imaging, like an MRI or a brain scan. These tools take high-resolution photos of your brain and help pinpoint neurological issues.

How is weakness treated?

Treatment of weakness depends on the severity of your symptoms, the underlying cause, and the effect on your quality of life. Usually, South Valley Neurology recommends conservative treatments like healthy lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and prescription medication.

The goal of treatment is to strengthen your muscles, restore your mobility, and improve your quality of life.

To learn more about the treatment options for weakness, call South Valley Neurology to request your appointment today.