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Myopathy
Specialty	Rheumatology

In medicine, a myopathy is a muscular disease in which the muscle fibers do not function for any one of many reasons, resulting in muscular weakness. "Myopathy" simply means muscle disease (myo- Greek μυσ "muscle" + -pathy Greek "suffering"). This meaning implies that the primary defect is within the muscle, as opposed to the nerves ("neuropathies" or "neurogenic" disorders) or elsewhere (e.g., the brain etc.). Muscle cramps, stiffness, and spasm can also be associated with myopathy.

Muscular disease can be classified as neuromuscular or musculoskeletal in nature.

Some conditions, such as myositis, can be considered both neuromuscular and musculoskeletal.

Classes

Because myopathy is such a general term, there are several classes of myopathy.... (ICD-10 codes are provided where available.)

Congenital

I bet that thang hurts!!

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 symptoms 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.

References

1. "Myopathy - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary".

• Muscular disorders