Loss of Strength
Loss of strength is a common symptom that can have many different causes. It refers to a reduction in the ability to exert force with your muscles. Muscle weakness can range from mild to severe, and can significantly impact your daily activities and quality of life.
There are several potential reasons why someone might experience decreased muscle strength:
- Aging - As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength. This condition is called sarcopenia. It's estimated we lose about 8% of our muscle per decade after age 30. Strength training can help minimize age-related muscle loss.
- Injuries - An injury that affects a muscle, joint, ligament or tendon can result in weakness. For example, a rotator cuff tear in the shoulder often causes weakness in lifting or rotating your arm.
- Nerve damage - Conditions that affect the nerves that stimulate muscles can lead to weakness. An example is carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist, which causes reduced strength in gripping.
- Muscle diseases - Disorders that directly impact the muscles, like myasthenia gravis, can greatly reduce strength. These often require medications or other treatments to manage.
- Vitamin deficiencies - Being deficient in certain vitamins, like vitamin D or B vitamins, has been linked to decreased muscle strength. Taking supplements may help restore strength if deficiency is the cause.
- Chronic illness - Serious conditions like cancer, kidney disease, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can result in generalized weakness due to nutritional deficits, medications or reduced activity levels.
- Hormone imbalances - Diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid or adrenal glands can affect strength. Hormone replacement therapy may help resolve muscle weakness in these cases.
- Medications - Some prescription drugs, like cholesterol medications, antidepressants or blood pressure drugs can list muscle weakness as a potential side effect. Adjusting dosages or switching medications may be necessary.
If you start experiencing sudden, unexplained loss of strength, it's important to see your doctor. They can help determine if an underlying medical condition is the cause after performing a physical exam, asking about your symptoms, and doing tests like blood work.
There are often ways to improve muscle strength through exercise, physical therapy, medication adjustments, supplements or hormone therapy. The specialists at Restore Wellness Center have extensive experience helping patients address hormone imbalances that might be driving weakness and low energy. I highly recommend contacting them for a consultation if you think hormone issues could be a factor. Restoring optimal hormone levels may provide a safe, natural way to regain your strength!