Can muscle stiffness signal a serious illness?

Muscle stiffness can be caused by a number of factors. It can be a nerve type disease or a problem caused by an infection.

Nowadays, we are increasingly encountering muscle stiffness due to persistent stress.

Very often, stiffness and the inability to move the muscle occurs with brain injuries, brain haemorrhage or tumour. Sometimes the stiffness may be only local. The cause may be local inflammation of the nerve that innervates the muscle.

The most common causes of muscle stiffness

Muscle stiffness can be the result of paralysis. This is a neurological disease or a symptom of another disease where a person's mobility and motor skills are restricted. Paralysis can be incomplete (partial). This is when it is called paresis.

In complete paralysis, there is a total loss of mobility and is called plegia. In paresis, there is a reduction in muscle strength, whereas in plegia there is a complete loss of muscle strength.

Paralysis can be caused, for example, by a viral infection that destroys motoneurons and thus limits their function. Muscle stiffness or paralysis can also be caused by bacterial affection, especially chronic infection.

Another cause may be brain damage from a stroke.

Stroke

It is also referred to as a sudden stroke because of the rapidly developing disability of the brain. Its cause is the failure of part of the brain to clot due to a blood vessel blockage, for example by thrombosis or embolism. It is referred to as an ischaemic stroke.

Thrombosis is due to atherosclerosis of a cerebral vessel. Embolization occurs when a blood clot is released and occludes a cerebral vessel. Most often, these clots originate from the heart, more specifically from the left side. There are various reasons for this, including heart rhythm disturbances.

Tip: For more information on heart rhythm disorders, see the articles Arrhythmia and Rapid heartbeat.

The cause may not only be due to the brain not being bloodied and oxygenated. It may also be the result of bleeding. These bleeding episodes are also known as haemorrhagic episodes. They are caused by the rupture of a cerebral blood vessel. This rupture occurs when there is high blood pressure or a vascular aneurysm.

Tip: Do you know what blood pressure values are and what symptoms indicate high blood pressure?

Head injury and brain damage

Damage to the brain can also be caused by a head injury. Such as various skull bone fractures, brain contusions, diffuse axonal damage. A head injury can also cause intracranial bleeding.

There are several types of hemorrhage, for example:

• epidural is bleeding between the skull and the dura mater.
• subdural is bleeding between the dura mater and the arachnoid. The arachnoid is the covering of the brain
• subarachnoid is a bleed between the arachnoidea and the pia mater (the soft membrane covering the brain)
• intracerebral is bleeding into the brain tissue

Vigilant coma

A condition known as vigil coma can occur after severe trauma, but also after brain damage from infection, stroke, tumour or after temporary brain haemorrhage.

Other names are coma vigile, areactive wakefulness syndrome, apalic syndrome or vegetative state. This severe brain impairment is usually irreversible. The person's eyes are open and involuntary limb movements and muscle rigidity may be present.

There is a lack of response to external stimuli. The individual does not communicate, and may occasionally make sounds. Only primitive reflexes such as chewing, yawning, and grasping are preserved. All cognitive functions are lost.

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a problem in which muscle rigidity is typically present. It is a disorder of central motor control and gait. This disease is also neurological in nature.

It affects only the brain and begins to manifest itself in early childhood. Poor coordination of movements and speech disorders are also typical symptoms of the disease. The most common form is the spastic form, which is manifested by stiff, contracted muscles.

Multiple sclerosis

The central nervous system is also affected by multiple sclerosis (technically known as multiple sclerosis). In this disease, the myelin sheaths in the white matter of the brain break down. As such, the myelin helps to transmit nerve impulses and excitations.

Because of this, the nerves and the conduction of the impulse, i.e. the electrical impulse, are irreversibly damaged. To date, the disease is incurable. The course of the disease is variable and individual. Dizziness, fatigue, vision problems and general difficulty with movement are also typical.

Parkinson's disease

Problems with muscle stiffness also occur during Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is a nervous disease. It is characterised by a loss of the ability to control and coordinate one's movements. Muscle tension, slowness of gait and psychological problems may also be present.

In the disease, there is a loss of nerve cells in the midbrain and it is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. The health condition deteriorates steadily. It mostly affects people over the age of 60.

Infectious diseases that cause muscle stiffening

Some infectious diseases can cause muscle problems, such as tetanus. This infection is characterised by muscle stiffness and generalised cramps. The causative agent of the disease is the bacterium Clostridium tetani.

This bacterium produces a toxin that affects the nervous system. Because of this, nerve impulses are blocked and the person is unable to control his or her body. Fortunately, the disease is now relatively uncommon, due to widespread vaccination in childhood and over-vaccination during life.

People with meningitis also have stiff muscles. The first symptoms are manifested by stiffening of the muscles in the neck, i.e. the neck. The person cannot bend his head and bring his chin close to the sternum.

The disease is called meningitis and takes several forms. The disease is caused by viruses or bacteria. It is a serious infectious disease which, if left untreated, can have a serious impact on health. For example, deafness, blindness or epilepsy can result, or death.

Symptoms of meningitis include:

• headache
• stiff neck muscles
• sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sounds (phonophobia)
• vomiting
• fever
• confusion
• disturbances of consciousness
• increased sleepiness
• irritability
• skin manifestation, petechiae, bruising, in meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis

Unrecognised or untreated Lyme disease can be another cause of muscle stiffness, joint pain and impaired mobility.

Other causes of stiffness

Problems with stiff muscles can sometimes be caused by metabolic diseases. But also by other diseases that affect muscle tissue or the nerves that innervate that muscle tissue.

In phenylketonuria, for example, there is an increase in muscle tension and stiffness due to the accumulation of phenylalanine in the body fluids. As a result of the metabolic disorder, this substance is not converted into tyrosine. The treatment is in the form of a diet, and it is lifelong.

Muscular rigidity can also be caused by drugs. It is caused by a group of drugs, the opioids. Opioids are drugs used to treat intense pain. They are also used in anaesthesiology. The most common muscles affected by rigidity are the chest, abdominal and laryngeal muscles.

Do you have muscle stiffness? Cervical spine?

Today's times are characterized by sedentary lifestyles, reduced physical activity and increased stress levels. Long-term stress present at work or in the family circle with a combination of endless sitting are frequent causes of spinal difficulties.

As a consequence, muscle stiffness develops, mainly in the cervical spine, the neck, but also in the rest of the spine between the shoulder blades and below. The cause is of course due to incorrect posture and lack of exercise.

Tip: Information about spinal problems pain between the shoulder blades, cervical spine pain and vertigo.

And what will help with stiff muscles?

Eliminating stress, proper posture and also regular physical activity are necessary to eliminate uncomfortable spinal problems such as stiffness and pain. Movement will take care of strengthening the muscles that are supposed to be the support for the skeleton.

There are various drugs and other preparations for pain, in the form of tablets or for topical application. However, it is most effective to give the body physical activity at least 3 times a week. The application of dry heat, infralamp, biolamp, sauna, massage, wellness, relaxation are also suitable.