Weakness

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Overview

Treatment

Weakness

Definition:

Weakness is a reduction in the strength of one or more muscles.

Alternative Names:

Lack of strength; Muscle weakness

Considerations:

Weakness may be subjective (the person feels weak, but has no measurable loss of strength) or objective (measurable loss of strength as noted in a physical exam). Weakness may be generalized (total body weakness) or localized to a specific area, side of the body, limb, or muscle.

A subjective feeling of weakness may be associated with infectious diseases such as infectious mononucleosis and influenza.

Weakness is more notable when it occurs in only one area of the body (localized or focal weakness). Localized weakness may follow a stroke, exacerbation of multiple sclerosis, or trauma to a motor nerve root or peripheral nerve.

Common Causes:

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

NEUROLOGIC

Stroke (often focal or localized weakness)
Bell's palsy (weakness of one side of the face)
A nerve impingement syndrome such as a slipped disk in the spine
Multiple sclerosis (may be focal)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease; focal developing to generalized)
Cerebral palsy (focal weakness associated with spasticity)
Guillain-Barre syndrome

PRIMARY MUSCULAR DISEASES

Muscular dystrophy (Duchenne)
Becker muscular dystrophy
Myotonic dystrophy
Dermatomyositis

TOXIC

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

OTHER

Myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune disorder that interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle)
Poliomyelitis (an infectious disease that damages motor neurons)
Dermatomyositis/polymyositis (autoimmune diseases leading to proximal muscle weakness, muscle pain, and sometimes skin rashes)

Review Date: 11/2/2001
Reviewed By: Sarah Pressman Lovinger, M.D., General Internist at Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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