Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionCauses and TypesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Causes and Types
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Myopathy refers to diseases of skeletal muscles (muscles connected to bone). The condition can beacute(meaning sudden, severe, and short-lasting) orchronic(persistent, recurrent, and often progressive). Symptoms of myopathy include muscle weakness, stiffness, and cramps.
There are many different causes of myopathy. It may be due to acongenitalcondition you are born with or something that develops in later life due to an infection, injury, medications, or diseases like diabetes, hypothyroidism, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.
This article describes the causes and symptoms of myopathy, including how myopathic diseases and disorders are diagnosed and treated.
Martin Dimitrov / istockphoto
Myopathy is a general term referring to a disease of skeletal muscle. With myopathy, these muscles work less effectively than they should, causing weakness and other motor symptoms. Myopahthy can occur when the muscles do not develop properly, become damaged, or lack certain structural components needed to function normally.
A muscle is composed of bundles of fibers calledmyofibersthat work in coordination to contract (shorten) a muscle. When the fiber bundles are damaged or defective, myopathy can occur.
There are many different causes of myopathy. Some are progressive and worsen over time, while others are fairly stable or short-lived. Several myopathies are inherited (passed from parents to children), and many are not.
Myopathy vs. NeuropathyMyopathy implies a defect within muscle fibers as opposed toneuropathyin which the defect is within muscle nerves. A neuromuscular condition involves both muscles and nerves.While myopathy is strictly defined as motor symptoms in the absence of sensory symptoms, certain conditions can cause myopathy and neuropathy.
Myopathy vs. Neuropathy
Myopathy implies a defect within muscle fibers as opposed toneuropathyin which the defect is within muscle nerves. A neuromuscular condition involves both muscles and nerves.While myopathy is strictly defined as motor symptoms in the absence of sensory symptoms, certain conditions can cause myopathy and neuropathy.
Myopathy implies a defect within muscle fibers as opposed toneuropathyin which the defect is within muscle nerves. A neuromuscular condition involves both muscles and nerves.
While myopathy is strictly defined as motor symptoms in the absence of sensory symptoms, certain conditions can cause myopathy and neuropathy.
Causes and Types of Myopathy
Myopathy can be broadly categorized as being either inherited or acquired. People with inherited myopathies tend to experience chronic symptoms, while those with acquired myopathies may have acute or chronic symptoms depending on the underlying cause.
Inherited
Inherited myopathies include:
Is Myopathy Inherited?There are over 200 inherited myopathies affecting roughly one of every 6,000 people in the world. Around 90% are autosomal-recessive, meaning that a child needs to inherit a specific gene mutation from each parent for the condition to occur. The remaining 10% are autosomal-dominant, meaning that a gene mutation from only one parent is needed for the condition to occur.
Is Myopathy Inherited?
There are over 200 inherited myopathies affecting roughly one of every 6,000 people in the world. Around 90% are autosomal-recessive, meaning that a child needs to inherit a specific gene mutation from each parent for the condition to occur. The remaining 10% are autosomal-dominant, meaning that a gene mutation from only one parent is needed for the condition to occur.
Acquired
Commonly acquired myopathies include:
What Are the Symptoms of Myopathy?
Some common symptoms of myopathy include:
What Does Myopathy Feel Like?
Myopathy is a broad term that can be ascribed to any number of abnormalities affecting movement, motor function, and coordination in adults or children.
If you have myopathy, you might have:
In children, myopathy may present with:
It can take time to diagnose the underlying cause of myopathy. Depending on the nature of your symptoms, you may be referred to a neurologist or a rheumatologist for evaluation.
The diagnosis will typically start with a review of your medical history and a physical exam to evaluate your reflexes, muscle strength, balance, and sensations.
Other tests may be ordered to narrow the possible causes, including:
Among the general treatment approaches:
How Do I Take Care of Myself?
If you have been diagnosed with chronic myopathy, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and make adjustments to accommodate for any limitations you may have.
These may include:
Congenital myopathy tends to worsen or stabilize over time but generally does not improve. Myopathies that are not congenital (such as infectious, metabolic, autoimmune, or toxic myopathies) may improve once the underlying condition is controlled.
If you have a chronic, progressive form of myopathy, it is important to eat correctly, exercise, maintain your ideal weight, and engage in physical therapy if symptoms are severe. Smoking should also be stopped.
Myopathy is not a common condition. However, many individuals diagnosed with myopathy are able to maintain productive lives with a consistent, holistic treatment plan.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Central core disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Muscular dystrophy information page.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Mitochondrial myopathy fact sheet.Tarnopolsky MA.Metabolic myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1829-1851. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000403Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Nemaline myopathy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Inflammatory Myopathies.MedlinePlus.Brody myopathy.MedlinePlus.Hypokalemic periodic paralysis.Ghakravorty S, Nallamilli BRR, Hhadikar SV, et al.Clinical and genomic evaluation of 207 genetic myopathies in the Indian subcontinent.Front Neurol.2020;11:559327. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.559327Lundberg IE, Miller FW, Tjärnlund A, Bottai M.Diagnosis and classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Intern Med. 2016;280(1):39-51. doi:10.1111/joim.12524Katzberg HD, Kassardjian CD.Toxic and endocrine myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1815-1828. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000407Chawla J.Stepwise approach to myopathy in systemic disease.Front Neurol.2011;2:49. doi:10.3389/fneur.2011.00049Saad A, Azzopardi C, Patel A, Davies AM, Botchu R.Myositis ossificans revisited – the largest reported case series.J Clin Orthop Trauma.2021 Jun;17:123–7. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2021.03.005Nance JR, Mammen AL.Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis.Muscle Nerve. 2015;51(6):793-810. doi:10.1002/mus.24606
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Central core disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Muscular dystrophy information page.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Mitochondrial myopathy fact sheet.Tarnopolsky MA.Metabolic myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1829-1851. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000403Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Nemaline myopathy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Inflammatory Myopathies.MedlinePlus.Brody myopathy.MedlinePlus.Hypokalemic periodic paralysis.Ghakravorty S, Nallamilli BRR, Hhadikar SV, et al.Clinical and genomic evaluation of 207 genetic myopathies in the Indian subcontinent.Front Neurol.2020;11:559327. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.559327Lundberg IE, Miller FW, Tjärnlund A, Bottai M.Diagnosis and classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Intern Med. 2016;280(1):39-51. doi:10.1111/joim.12524Katzberg HD, Kassardjian CD.Toxic and endocrine myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1815-1828. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000407Chawla J.Stepwise approach to myopathy in systemic disease.Front Neurol.2011;2:49. doi:10.3389/fneur.2011.00049Saad A, Azzopardi C, Patel A, Davies AM, Botchu R.Myositis ossificans revisited – the largest reported case series.J Clin Orthop Trauma.2021 Jun;17:123–7. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2021.03.005Nance JR, Mammen AL.Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis.Muscle Nerve. 2015;51(6):793-810. doi:10.1002/mus.24606
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Central core disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Muscular dystrophy information page.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Mitochondrial myopathy fact sheet.Tarnopolsky MA.Metabolic myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1829-1851. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000403Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Nemaline myopathy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Inflammatory Myopathies.MedlinePlus.Brody myopathy.MedlinePlus.Hypokalemic periodic paralysis.Ghakravorty S, Nallamilli BRR, Hhadikar SV, et al.Clinical and genomic evaluation of 207 genetic myopathies in the Indian subcontinent.Front Neurol.2020;11:559327. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.559327Lundberg IE, Miller FW, Tjärnlund A, Bottai M.Diagnosis and classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Intern Med. 2016;280(1):39-51. doi:10.1111/joim.12524Katzberg HD, Kassardjian CD.Toxic and endocrine myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1815-1828. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000407Chawla J.Stepwise approach to myopathy in systemic disease.Front Neurol.2011;2:49. doi:10.3389/fneur.2011.00049Saad A, Azzopardi C, Patel A, Davies AM, Botchu R.Myositis ossificans revisited – the largest reported case series.J Clin Orthop Trauma.2021 Jun;17:123–7. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2021.03.005Nance JR, Mammen AL.Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis.Muscle Nerve. 2015;51(6):793-810. doi:10.1002/mus.24606
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Central core disease.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Muscular dystrophy information page.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Mitochondrial myopathy fact sheet.
Tarnopolsky MA.Metabolic myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1829-1851. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000403
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (NIH).Nemaline myopathy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Inflammatory Myopathies.
MedlinePlus.Brody myopathy.
MedlinePlus.Hypokalemic periodic paralysis.
Ghakravorty S, Nallamilli BRR, Hhadikar SV, et al.Clinical and genomic evaluation of 207 genetic myopathies in the Indian subcontinent.Front Neurol.2020;11:559327. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.559327
Lundberg IE, Miller FW, Tjärnlund A, Bottai M.Diagnosis and classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Intern Med. 2016;280(1):39-51. doi:10.1111/joim.12524
Katzberg HD, Kassardjian CD.Toxic and endocrine myopathies.Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2016;22(6):1815-1828. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000407
Chawla J.Stepwise approach to myopathy in systemic disease.Front Neurol.2011;2:49. doi:10.3389/fneur.2011.00049
Saad A, Azzopardi C, Patel A, Davies AM, Botchu R.Myositis ossificans revisited – the largest reported case series.J Clin Orthop Trauma.2021 Jun;17:123–7. doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2021.03.005
Nance JR, Mammen AL.Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis.Muscle Nerve. 2015;51(6):793-810. doi:10.1002/mus.24606
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