Neuromuscular disorders or Nerve and Muscle Disorders are a general term used for several diseases with varied implications. Nerve and Muscle disorders always describe a group of medical conditions that affect the muscles of arms & legs or the muscles of the heart & lungs or the nerves that control the muscles.

There are several types of muscle diseases. The severity of those diseases found in people varies from person to person. Most of the conditions are progressive and gradually weaken a person’s mobility. Later it may lead to some sort of permanent disability. These diseases affect infants, children, adults, and even aged people. These conditions may be hereditary or non-hereditary.

Symptoms of Nerve and Muscle Disorders

Some nerve and muscle disorder symptoms come up in the infancy stage and some symptoms appear in the childhood and adulthood stages. These symptoms may affect different parts of the body differently depending on the type of neuromuscular disorder the person has.

These neuromuscular disorders are in some cases inherited or by a spontaneous gene mutation. It is also believed that an immune system reaction may lead to a neuromuscular disease. The common bodily symptoms include:

• Weakness in Muscle
• Loss of sensation or numbness
• Loss of Balance or motor control
• Difficulty in breathing and swallowing
• Muscle atrophy

Diagnosis

The neuromuscular conditions are very complicated and there is little known about them so far. The doctors will have to make comprehensive health checks, including a family history to reach any conclusion.

There is a need for examining the patient’s reflexes and muscle energy. Genetic testing can be performed to verify gene mutations and family history. Other tests and examinations to be conducted include:

• Muscle biopsy and CK (creatine kinase) in the tissues test
• Blood test for elevated enzymes
• Electromyography (EMG) and MRI ( magnetic resonance imaging)
• Nerve conduction check up to know about the nerve signals
• Collecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through lumbar puncture for detecting inflammation

Treatment

There is no specific treatment and cure for neuromuscular conditions. The doctor may treat the symptoms of the disease so that the quality of the life can be enhanced and delay the progression of the disease. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and surgery can be done to manage these disorders.

Contact Dr. Akhila Kumar Panda, Director at NEUMED Center for Neurology, Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment.