Muscular System Injuries and Disease



Muscular System Injuries and Disease

Caring For Your Muscular System

Strain - A strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon. Tendons are tissues that connect muscle to bone. Twisting or pulling these tissues can cause a strain. Strains can happen suddenly or develop over time. Back and hamstring muscle strains are common. Many people get strains playing sports. Symptoms include pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and trouble moving the muscle.

At first, treatment of both sprains and strains usually involves resting the injured area, icing it, wearing a bandage or device that compresses the area, and medicines. Later treatment might include exercise and physical therapy.

Cramps - Muscle cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions or spasms in one or more of your muscles. They often occur after exercise or at night, lasting a few seconds to several minutes. It is a very common muscle problem.

Muscle cramps can be caused by nerves that malfunction. Sometimes this malfunction is due to a health problem, such as a spinal cord injury or a pinched nerve in the neck or back. Other causes are

• Straining or overusing a muscle

• Dehydration

• A lack of minerals in your diet or the depletion of minerals in your body

• Not enough blood getting to your muscles

Cramps can be very painful. Stretching or gently massaging the muscle can relieve this pain.

Tendonitits - Tendons are flexible bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones. They help your muscles move your bones. Tendinitis is the severe swelling of a tendon.

Tendinitis usually happens after repeated injury to an area such as the wrist or ankle. It causes pain and soreness around a joint. Some common forms of tendinitis are named after the sports that increase their risk. They include tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, pitcher's shoulder, swimmer's shoulder, and jumper's knee.

Doctors diagnose tendinitis with your medical history, a physical exam, and imaging tests. The first step in treatment is to reduce pain and swelling. Rest, wrapping or elevating the affected area, and medicines can help. Ice is helpful for recent, severe injuries. Other treatments include ultrasound, physical therapy, steroid injections, and surgery.

Muscular Dystrophy - Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of more than 30 inherited diseases. They all cause muscle weakness and muscle loss. Some forms of MD appear in infancy or childhood. Others may not appear until middle age or later. The different types can vary in whom they affect, which muscles they affect, and what the symptoms are. All forms of MD grow worse as the person's muscles get weaker. Most people with MD eventually lose the ability to walk.

There is no cure for muscular dystrophy. Treatments can help with the symptoms and prevent complications. They include physical and speech therapy, orthopedic devices, surgery, and medications. Some people with MD have mild cases that worsen slowly. Others cases are disabling and severe.

4 Ways to Care for the Muscular System:

1. Resistance Training - Resistance training increases muscle size and strength. You can use any household item to resistance train.

2. Aerobic Exercise - Aerobic exercise has several beneficial effects on the muscular system. It strengthens the heart, increases endurance, improves muscle strength, increases muscle tone and helps to reduce body fat. Examples of aerobic exercise include jogging, walking, swimming and playing tennis. All of these activities increase the heart rate. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

3. Correct Posture - Posture has a significant effect on the efficiency of the muscles and the amount of force required to carry out tasks. Poor posture also makes it difficult for the muscles and bones to work together to produce movement. Practice good posture to prevent these negative effects on the muscular system. When using a chair, sit up straight and put your shoulders back. When standing upright or walking, don't slump, stand up straight and keep your shoulders back.

4. Maintain Normal Weight - Extra weight puts stress on the muscles and forces them to work harder. Maintaining a normal weight reduces this stress and prevents muscle aches and strains. Eat a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce the number of calories you consume each day. Use aerobic exercise to burn calories and strengthen the heart. Perform strength training exercises to increase your muscle mass, because increased muscle mass improves your metabolism.

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