Definition:

Muscle weakness, also known as muscle fatigue, (or "lack of strength") refers to the inability to exert force with one's skeletal muscles. Weakness often follows muscle atrophy and a decrease in activity, such as after a long bout of bedrest as a result of an illness.

Causes:

Measurable weakness may result from a variety of conditions including metabolic, neurologic, primary muscular diseases, and toxic disorders.

• Othopaedic
• Prolonged Immoblisation after Fractures
• Computer related Mulscle weakness
• Occupational related Muscle weakness
• Muscle weakness due to Lack of fitness

METABOLIC

• Addison's disease
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Low sodium or potassium
• Thyrotoxicosis

NEUROLOGIC

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Bell's palsy
• Cerebral palsy
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pinched nerve (for example, caused by a slipped disk in the spine)
• Stroke

PRIMARY MUSCULAR DISEASES

• Becker muscular dystrophy
• Dermatomyositis
• Muscular dystrophy (Duchenne)
• Myotonic dystrophy

TOXIC

• Botulism
• Organophosphate poisoning (insecticides, nerve gas)
• Paralytic shellfish poisoning

OTHER

• Anemia
• Myasthenia gravis
• Poliomyelitis

Symptoms:

Muscle weakness or measurable fatigue can be a symptom of a myriad of conditions, just to name a few:

• Stroke
• Anemia
• Fibromyalgia
• Poliomyelitis
• Pinched nerve
• Thyrotoxicosis
• Relapsing fever
• Chronic fatigue
• Dermatomyositis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Addison’s disease
• Cerebral/Bell’s palsy
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Low sodium/potassium
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Becker muscular dystrophy
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Muscular/myotonic dystrophy
• Insecticide/nerve gas/shellfish poisoning

Physiotherapy:

• Active exercise.
• Active assistive exercise.
• Active resistive exercise.
• Passive exercise
• Strengthening exercises
• Balancing exercises
• Low impact aerobic exercises