Neuromuscular Disorders

On this page

Summary

Neuromuscular disorders affect your neuromuscular system. They can cause problems with:

The nerves that control your muscles
Your muscles
Communication between your nerves and muscles

These disorders can cause your muscles to become weak and waste away. You may also have symptoms such as spasms, twitching, and pain.

Examples of neuromuscular disorders include:

There can be different causes for these diseases. Many of them are genetic.This means they are inherited (run in families) or are caused by a new mutation in your genes. Some neuromuscular disorders are autoimmune diseases. Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Many neuromuscular diseases have no cure. But treatments may improve symptoms, increase mobility, and lengthen life.

Start Here

Find a Neuromuscular Disease (Muscular Dystrophy Association)

Diagnosis and Tests

Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Living With

Exercising with a Muscle Disease (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF

Related Issues

Dressing with Ease, Style, and Comfort (ALS Association)
Preparing for Emergencies: A Checklist for People with Neuromuscular Diseases (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF Also in Spanish

Specifics

Congenital Myasthenia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Congenital Myopathy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Isaacs Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
Kearns-Sayre Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Mitochondrial Disorders (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Monomelic Amyotrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Motor Neuron Diseases (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Myotonia Congenita (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Opsoclonus Myoclonus (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Piriformis Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Stiff-Person Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Thyrotoxic Myopathy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Troyer Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
What Is Mitochondrial Disease (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF

Genetics

Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Christianson syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Congenital myasthenic syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Distal hereditary motor neuropathy, type II: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics and Neuromuscular Disease (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF
Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Multiple pterygium syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Schwartz-Jampel syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Silver syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 11: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 15: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 2: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 31: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 49: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 4: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 5A: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 7: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Spastic paraplegia type 8: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Troyer syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Nerve conduction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscle Spasticity (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Neuromuscular Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Apraxia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
Hypertonia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Myotonia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Spasticity (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Find an Expert

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Women

Pregnancy and Childbirth with Neuromuscular Disease (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF

Patient Handouts

Apraxia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hand or foot spasms (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Muscle atrophy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Muscle function loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Muscle twitching (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Myotonia congenita (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Spasticity (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Neuromuscular Disorders is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Neuromuscular Disorders

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.