How long does it take for muscles to atrophy?

• Buffer
• Tweet

Muscle atrophy is a form of muscle wasting and deterioration of the muscles that causes a loss of muscle tissue.

There are two principal forms of muscle atrophy that can result in muscle deterioration: disuse muscle atrophy and neurogenic muscle atrophy.

Disuse muscle atrophy usually results when people simply do not engage in enough physical exercise or basic physical activity. Muscles will waste away if they are not being used, resulting in a thinner appearance to the limb or body. Disuse muscle atrophy can occur to people who have sedentary jobs that do not demand a lot of physical movement or activity, people with limited physical mobility due to medical conditions, bedridden people who cannot move or engage in proper physical activity and astronauts who are away from Earth’s gravity, causing a loss of muscle tone and loss of calcium from their bones.

Disuse muscle atrophy can be identified by different sizes of the arms or legs (indicating muscle loss) or after experiencing nerve damage or other injuries. A physician might perform nerve tests or even a CAT scan or MRI to assess the damage to the muscle as a result of disuse muscle atrophy.

While disuse muscle atrophy in astronauts can literally take place after just a few days of being away from Earth, disuse muscle atrophy due to sedentary life style or limited physical mobility can take months or even years before it sets in and starts to result in the wasting away of muscle tissue. Furthermore, it is possible to reverse the process of disuse muscle atrophy in a relatively short amount of time. Muscle tissue can be repaired and restored through a proper regimen of exercise and a balanced and nutritious diet. Thus, while disuse muscle atrophy can take years to establish in the body, the reversal process can happen within a matter of weeks, should the exercise regime prove to be vigorous and intense, coupled with a proper and nutritious diet. Disuse muscle atrophy also can be slowed down rather quickly given the right approach and treatment, such as exercising in water to assist developing the muscles that have atrophied due to disuse. More radical approaches can include ultrasound treatment as well as surgery to correct a contracture (tightening of muscles, ligaments, tissue or skin that prevents proper movement of the limbs).

Nonetheless, even with a minor case of disuse muscle atrophy, some loss of muscle use might remain as a result of the disuse muscle atrophy that had already developed.

The other form of muscle atrophy, neurogenic muscle atrophy, is more severe and occurs as a result of either an injury to the nerve or the onset of a disease. Polio (official name: poliomyelitis) or Lou Gehrig’s disease (official name: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) are examples of diseases that result in muscle atrophy. With the onset of diseases like polio or Lou Gehrig’s disease, neurogenic muscle atrophy tends to occur more suddenly than disuse muscle atrophy. The damage is usually long term, and once neurogenic muscle atrophy is established, it is difficult to reverse.

Resource by Will

I am the editor for TheFreeResource.com, and owner of LinchpinSEO, a small business content creation company. The Free Resource has a select community of talented writers, teachers, and business people (and we are always looking for more) that bring you the most trusted resources on the web and credible articles about many topics.

Related Research For Teachers, Students, and Kids