Muscle Atrophy After Stroke | Causes & How to Prevent It [FAQ’s]

Everyone wants to jack up huge muscle. Nobody wants to lose their muscle mass. However, people are likely to suffer muscle atrophy after stroke. In this blog, we are going to have a detailed discussion in this respect.

Muscle atrophy is the loss of lean muscle and muscle strength. In other words, it is the direct opposite of the muscle-building process.

Good nutrition, a high protein diet, and weight training condition your muscle mass.

Eventually, you grow bigger, massive, muscular, stronger muscles. Muscle Atrophy After Stroke end causing physical inactivity.

Let’s know more about the physical phenomenon…

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What Is Muscle Atrophy?

Muscle atrophy is the loss of muscle tissue and muscular strength due to prolonged periods of minimal use. In other words, your muscle mass begins deteriorating if you don’t work out regularly and keep them in motion.

For example, someone with a fracture has to wear a cast for a couple of weeks. On removal of the cast, there is a noteworthy difference in the muscle mass in the leg fractured.

Muscle atrophy is something similar. Due to certain conditions, if you are not able to move specific body parts, you will have a similar experience.

Indeed, stroke is one of the factors causing muscle atrophy.

However, with effective prevention methods, you can skip Muscle Atrophy After Stroke. Still, first, understand the primary contributing factor to

What Causes Muscle Weakness After Stroke?

There isn’t a single reason behind muscle atrophy or weakness. In fact, the causing factor may differ from case to case.

Here are the major causes behind muscle atrophy symptoms:

#1: Malnutrition

Nutrients deficiency, malnutrition, and lack of protein in the diet can contribute to muscle weakness. Of course, a proper nutritious diet is important for adequate muscle function and development.

The inadequacy of specific nutrition present proper muscle growth and results in illness. Also, it can occur due to strong medication like cancer drugs.

#2: Neurological disease

Certain neurological conditions may drop muscle strength after stroke. These Neurological diseases are mainly neuropathy, stroke, cerebral palsy, or spinal cord disease.

Indeed, such a condition weakens the muscles of the face, arms, or legs. So, lack of use, workouts, or stimulation of muscle makes them thinner.

Eventually, you lose muscle strength, this begins because of the neurological problem.

#3: Prolonged illness/hospitalization

Prolonged illness or a long stay in hospital is another crucial factor. The reason can be a long bout of infection, cancer, or another disease needing a prolonged stay in the intensive care unit.

Obviously, such a long stay in medical care lessens required mobility and nutrition flow for muscle development.

Henceforth, it makes it another factor what causes muscle weakness after stroke.

#4: Swallowing problems

Swallowing problems and exhaustion interfere with diet. Even after the best nutritional diet, people have trouble swallowing in the hospital. Thus, they have a natural tendency to lose weight.

These are some of the main causes of muscle atrophy and heaviness in the legs after stroke. You can still try our different ways of regaining muscle mass after atrophy. First, you need to take preventive measures.

How To Prevent Muscle Atrophy After Stroke?

Do you have a neurological condition causing physical weakness?

Well, there are ways you can prevent atrophy before it even occurs.

For this you have to keep care of a few things:

#1: Stay active

First and foremost, you need to stay active. Most recovering from serious health conditions including severe infection, stroke, or cancer don’t think of physical activity.

Likewise, people with chronic neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis don’t want an active life.

However, not having an active life contributes to muscle atrophy. This may even worsen your physical capabilities.

#2: Physical therapy

physical therapy and rehabilitation in a neurological condition are beneficial. Not only it helps in your treatment but also helps retain muscle mass.

Also, it ensures you participate in an activity even and well-planned activities. This further ensures quicker stroke muscle recovery. Indeed, you recover and strengthen fast.

#3: Passive movement

The best way to start actively participating in activities is starting with passive movements. In this method, your therapist begins with a small movement of arms and legs.

This is common in hospitals or facilities for stroke patients unable to start a physical movement. Thus, passive movement in the initial stage is beneficial.

#4: Nutrition

Getting back to a nutritious diet and physical workout can prevent atrophy. Also, it helps retain lost muscle strength and physical growth.

Apart from preventing atrophy, these tips help in several other ways. In fact, the prevent bedsore resulting from sleeping on side or specific posture that put pressure on a single part of the body.

It helps in lessening the chance of blood clots in the legs or arms due to fewer movements. Though the passive movement is controversial for preventing blood clots.

Experts have mixed opinions some favor it, while others don’t.

It can also help in limiting the nerve damage and muscle stiffness occurring during a prolonged period of activity.

Reversing Muscle Atrophy After Stroke

Muscle Atrophy After Stroke is reversible.

However, atrophy is a physical process happening over time. Likewise, muscle building again would take time.

So, how to reverse atrophy?

It is the same as preventing muscle weakness and strength loss. You have to stay active, go for physical therapy, involve in passive movements, and rely on sufficient nutrition.

When you feel like hitting the active life again, you can go ahead. Still, the muscle weakness along with your disease will be a tough hurdle to surpass.

It is important to have realistic goals and reasonable expectations. Thus, plan your work out for gradual improvement rather than focusing on quick results.

Obviously, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you won’t be gaining muscle in a short time.

Rehabilitation is an imperative part of muscle recovery. You should take maximum benefits from the resources available to you. This is how to recover from stroke quickly.

FAQs on Muscle Atrophy

We have already discussed everything about muscle atrophy. It is time to take a few common questions related to the physical scenario.

Let’s get started…

Q1: Can a stroke cause muscle atrophy?

Muscle atrophy occurs due to a lot of factors; stroke is one of them. In this condition, your muscular strength and body hinder.

Also, you have a higher risk of injury due to persistent weakness. Many patients encounter stroke while in the rehabilitation period. Depending on the case, it can be serious.

Q2: Can muscle atrophy be reversed?

Yes, definitely.

You can reverse the muscle loss and weakness. Likewise, the muscle atrophy took time and occurred gradually over time, muscle rebuilding takes time.

It is only possible through regular workouts adequate nutrition. These are necessary apart from the treatment for your health condition.

Q3: What happens to muscles after a stroke?

Sometimes a stroke damages a certain part of the brain responsible for muscle movement.

Thus, the signal between the brain and the muscle is no more active. Eventually, your body doesn’t respond to the brain’s direction leading to paralysis/weakness.

Q4: How long does it take to regain muscle after atrophy?

It depends on individual cases.

It can take two weeks or even a few months depending on your physique, where you are going to start.

For runners, it is going to be slow because muscle loss of such kind takes longer for them. On the contrary, weightlifters may gain it quicker back.

Q5: How do you rebuild muscles after atrophy?

You can try the following tips to rebuild muscles after atrophy:

1. Begin with isometric exercises.
2. Mid-range workouts.
3. Perform weight-bearing exercises.
4. When muscle gaining starts, gradually add pounds and reps
5. Focus on a nutritious diet.
6. Drink more water.

Q6: What exercises should seniors avoid?

If you are above the age of 65, stop performing the following workouts:

• Deadlift.
• Leg press.
• Upright row.
• Bench press.
• Abdominal crunches.
• Long-distance running.
• High-intensity interval training.
• Squats with dumbbells or weights.

Q7: What vitamin is good for muscle recovery?

Vitamin A.

Not only it is beneficial for your eyesight, but it is incredibly fruitful for athletes and bodybuilders.

In fact, the nutrients are extremely beneficial for protein synthesis, muscle growth, and recovery. It is necessary for protein breakdown during muscle repair and the regeneration process.

A Word

There can be various factors behind muscle atrophy. One of the factors is stroke. Whatever is the reason, you need not worry because it is reversible. You can still regain your muscle and attain previous strength.

You just need to keep care of the tips and tricks we have provided. However, it should depend on what’s the cause of your muscle atrophy.

It is highly recommendable to take the help of experts than rely on social media knowledge.

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