Loss of strength is a concerning symptom that can have many causes. It refers to a reduction in your ability to exert force with your muscles, whether it's lifting weights, opening jars, or doing daily activities. A gradual decline in strength is common as we age, but more sudden or severe weakness warrants medical evaluation.
Some potential causes of loss of strength include:
- Muscle atrophy: This is when muscles shrink due to disuse or damage. Conditions like stroke, injuries, and immobilization can lead to atrophy and weakness.
- Nerve compression or damage: Issues with nerves that stimulate muscles can impair strength. Carpal tunnel syndrome, pinched nerves, and peripheral neuropathy are examples.
- Neuromuscular disorders: Diseases that affect nerve fibers and connections to muscles cause progressive weakness. These include ALS, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophies.
- Myopathies: Problems with muscle tissues themselves, like inflammation or metabolic disorders, can reduce strength. Polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and rhabdomyolysis are myopathies.
- Electrolyte imbalances: Abnormally high or low levels of minerals like potassium and calcium can interfere with proper muscle contractions.
- Medications: Some drugs used for mental health, infections, heart conditions and more may cause temporary weakness as a side effect.
- Vitamin deficiencies: Lack of vitamins D, B12 and others essential for nerve and muscle health can manifest as loss of strength.
- Chronic illness: Conditions like cancer, kidney failure, liver disease and heart failure sap your energy and gradually deplete muscle strength.
- Hormone imbalances: Diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands often cause weakness. At The Hormone Hub, we help diagnose and treat hormone disorders that can impair strength.
If you're experiencing concerning weakness, see your doctor. They will take a medical history and perform a physical exam, asking you to push or pull against resistance to test strength. Blood tests can check for vitamin deficiencies, electrolyte abnormalities and signs of various diseases. Nerve tests like EMG assess electrical activity in muscles. Imaging like MRI can reveal nerve compression or muscle disorders.
Addressing any underlying condition and engaging in physical therapy helps manage loss of strength. While some causes like aging can't be reversed, many are treatable. Regaining muscle strength may improve energy, mobility and quality of life. Let us know if we can help you get to the bottom of your weakness at The Hormone Hub!