Muscle Atrophy Of The Arm, Shoulder And Hand - Causes And Symptoms Of Muscle Atrophy, Diagnosis And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Causes and symptoms of muscle atrophy of the arm, shoulder and hand

Atrophy of the muscles of the hand, hand, forearm develops mainly as a secondary disease against the background of disturbed innervation (nutrition, blood circulation) in a certain area of muscle tissue and, less often, as primary (usually with myopathy), when the motor function is not impaired.

Causes of muscle atrophy of the arm, shoulder and hand

For the development of muscle atrophy, the predisposing reasons are: professional factor (constant overstrain during hard physical labor), arthrosis of the wrist joint, endocrine pathology - obesity, diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease, acromegaly; cicatricial processes after injuries, metabolic and systemic diseases (lupus erythematosus), tumors of various origins, congenital pathologies of the development of the lower limb.

Symptoms of atrophy of the muscles of the arm, shoulder and hand

Muscle atrophy is a serious condition that primarily affects muscle fibers. The main typical sign is the symmetry of the lesion (except for myasthenia gravis) and the slow progression of the disease (except for myositis), atrophy of the affected muscles and weakening of tendon reflexes while maintaining sensitivity.

Most peripheral nerves have a mixed structure, and when damaged, the work of sensory, motor and autonomic fibers is disrupted. It happens that one of the fibers is most affected.

If motor fibers are involved in the process, then muscle paresis occurs, which are innervated by this nerve. The patient complains of muscle weakness, low muscle tone. Atrophy does not develop immediately, but 2-3 months after the lesion. In the absence of proper treatment, after a year and a half, the muscle will completely atrophy.

If sensitive fibers are involved in the process, the clinic manifests itself as parasthesias - patients feel a tingling sensation, running goose bumps. Neurological symptoms are expressed in the form of hyperesthesia (hypersensitivity), or hypesthesia (decreased sensitivity). A feeling of numbness in the affected limb appears with extensive damage to the nerve fibers.

In most cases, there is a decrease in pain sensitivity while maintaining tactile sensitivity. In the later stages of the development of the disease, deep hypesthesia occurs, up to a complete lack of sensitivity. Redness or blanching of the skin, the appearance of a marble pattern speaks of vascular disorders that occur when the vegetative fibers are directly affected.

As a rule, increased or decreased sweating of the affected limb joins. A burning pain of a hyperplastic nature, radiating to the entire limb involved in the process, is disturbing. The trophism (cellular nutrition) of tissues is disturbed due to deep vegetative disorders.

Atrophy of the muscles of the arm begins, as a rule, from the most remote or distal parts of the upper extremities. The hand takes on the appearance of a "monkey's hand" due to the defeat of the interosseous muscles and fingers. There is a complete loss of tendon reflexes, but sensitivity remains in the affected limb. As the disease progresses, the muscles of the neck and trunk are included in the process.

Diagnosis of muscle atrophy of the arm, shoulder and hand

The diagnosis does not cause any particular difficulties at present in connection with the introduction of the method of electromyography and biopsy of the affected muscles into the clinical examination. The patient is assigned without fail biochemical and general blood tests, urinalysis; in blood serum, the activity of muscle enzymes is determined (mainly by the CPK method). In urine, creatine and creatinine are counted. According to the indications, the patient is sent for CT or MRI of the cervicothoracic spine and brain, examination for endocrinological pathology.

Treatment of muscle atrophy of the arm, shoulder and hand

When choosing a method of treatment, the following factors are taken into account: the form of the disease, the severity and prevalence of the process, the age of the patient. Along with drug treatment, great importance is attached to proper nutrition, physiotherapy procedures, courses of therapeutic massage and gymnastics, electrotherapy. In some cases, it is appropriate to assign the patient to psychotherapy sessions.

Currently, there is no drug that can completely cure muscle atrophy, but the correct choice of treatment method and timely diagnosis can slow down the pathological process, restore muscle regeneration and return the patient's lost abilities. The main thing is to strictly adhere to the doctor's recommendations.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".