Myopathy

In medicine, a myopathy is a neuromuscular disease in which the muscle fibers dysfunction for any one of many reasons, resulting in muscular weakness. Muscle cramps, stiffness, and spasm can also be associated with myopathy. Because myopathy is such a general term, there are several classes of myopathy.

Myopathy groups

• Congenital myopathies
• Muscular dystrophies
• Mitochondrial myopathies
• Glycogen storage diseases may affect muscle
• Rhabdomyolysis and myoglobinurias
• Myositis ossificans
• Familial periodic paralysis
• Polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis, and related myopathies
• Neuromyotonia
• Common muscle cramps and stiffness, and tetany

Treatments

Because different types of myopathies are caused by many different pathways, there is no single treatment for myopathy. Treatments range from treatment of the symptomes to very specific cause-targeting treatments. Drug therapy , physical therapy, bracing for support, surgery, and even acupuncture are current treatments for a variety of myopathies.