National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Muscle Disorders is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Muscle Disorders
Also called: Myopathy
Your muscles help you move and help your body work. Different types of muscles have different jobs. There are many problems that can affect muscles. Muscle disorders can cause weakness, pain or even paralysis.
There may be no known cause for a muscle disorder. Some known causes include
- Injury or overuse, such as sprains or strains, cramps or tendinitis
- Genetics, such as muscular dystrophy
- Some cancers
- Inflammation, such as myositis
- Diseases of nerves that affect muscles
- Infections
- Certain medicines
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Muscles(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Myopathies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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Myopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Latest News
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NIH Launches Trial for Rare Degenerative Muscle Disease Treatment(09/24/2012, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, National Human Genome Research Institute)
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NIH Launches Trial for Rare Degenerative Muscle Disease Treatment
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Electromyography (EMG)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- MRI of the Musculoskeletal System(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Needle Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Treatment
- Botulinum Toxin Injections: A Treatment for Muscle Spasms(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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Specific Conditions
- Compartment Syndrome(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Extra-Abdominal Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatoses)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Familial Periodic Paralyses(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Hypotonia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Metabolic Diseases of Muscle(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Metabolic Myopathies(American College of Rheumatology)
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Mitochondrial Myopathies(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Multifocal Motor Neuropathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Muscle Contusion (Bruise)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome(Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care)
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Myotonia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Rhabdomyolysis(American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine)
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Related Issues
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Foot Drop(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
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Foot Drop
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Tutorials
- Muscles(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Atlas of Human Body: Muscles -- Back View(American Medical Association)
- Atlas of Human Body: Muscles -- Front View(American Medical Association)
- Atlas of Human Body: Muscles -- Side View(American Medical Association)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscular Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Rhabdomyolysis(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscular Diseases
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Actin-accumulation myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Adenosine monophosphate deaminase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Bethlem myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Brody myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Cap myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Central core disease(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Centronuclear myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Congenital fiber-type disproportion(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Danon disease(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Glycogen storage disease type III(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hereditary myopathy with early respiratory failure(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hypokalemic periodic paralysis(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Inclusion body myopathy 2(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Inclusion body myopathy with early-onset Paget disease and frontotemporal dementia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Intranuclear rod myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Malignant hyperthermia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Multiminicore disease(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Myopathy with deficiency of iron-sulfur cluster assembly enzyme(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Myotonia congenita(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Nemaline myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Neutral lipid storage disease with myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Paramyotonia congenita(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Phosphoglycerate kinase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Phosphoglycerate mutase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Potassium-aggravated myotonia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Salih myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: X-linked myotubular myopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Actin-accumulation myopathy
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Research
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Protein Signaling Ties Muscle Development to Bone(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Research Finds Link Between Statin Use and Progressive Muscle Disease(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Researchers Achieve Needed Levels of Stem Cells to Treat Muscle Disease in Mice(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Protein Signaling Ties Muscle Development to Bone
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: I used to take a statin, but developed myopathy and...
- Article: Effects of robot-assisted therapy on stroke rehabilitation in upper limbs:...
- Article: Motor imagery practice for improving sit to stand and reaching...
- Muscle Disorders -- see more articles
- Muscular atrophy or wasting -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary of Orthopaedic Words(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Directories
- ACR: Geographic Membership Directory(American College of Rheumatology)
- Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician(American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
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Organizations
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Children
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Congenital Myopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- EMG (Electromyography)(Nemours Foundation)
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Healthy Muscles Matter(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Myotonia Congenita(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Your Muscles(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Congenital Myopathy
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Teenagers
- Bones, Muscles, and Joints: The Musculoskeletal System(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Patient Handouts
- Caring for muscle spasticity or spasms
- Also available in Spanish
- Compartment syndrome
- Also available in Spanish
- Contracture deformity
- Also available in Spanish
- Electromyography
- Also available in Spanish
- Eyelid twitch
- Also available in Spanish
- Hypotonia
- Also available in Spanish
- Muscle aches
- Also available in Spanish
- Muscle atrophy
- Also available in Spanish
- Muscle biopsy
- Also available in Spanish
- Muscle function loss
- Also available in Spanish
- Muscle twitching
- Also available in Spanish
- Myopathic changes
- Also available in Spanish
- Myotonia congenita
- Also available in Spanish
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Also available in Spanish
- Volkmann's ischemic contracture
- Also available in Spanish
- Weakness
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
