Therapy

If you feel persistent muscle weakness and severe pain, you should consult a doctor. As muscle inflammation is a rather rare disease in our regions, it is not always easy to make a clear diagnosis. However, if there is a suspicion of inflammation and if this is confirmed, for example by a tissue sample, therapy must be started immediately to stop the inflammatory process.

Otherwise, chronic, painful inflammation can occur, which in the long term leads to a severe reduction in muscle mass. Immediate protection is important for the affected muscle region. The doctor will prescribe cortisone preparations as medication.

These take effect after a few days to weeks, in some patients it can take up to 6 weeks until improvement. The therapy is controlled by constant blood checks until the inflammation values and the muscle-specific enzymes in the blood return to normal. In severe cases, in which even cortisone preparations do not help, immunosuppressive drugs can be taken.

They lower the immune system and thus also reduce the body’s own inflammatory reaction. However, this makes the body more sensitive to all kinds of pathogens. For certain muscle groups, physiotherapy is also advisable during the acute phase of the inflammation.

This is particularly important if the swallowing or breathing muscles are involved so that they do not lose too much of their function. General rehabilitation is only possible once the inflammation has healed or is no longer in an acute phase. Too long a period of sparing begins with a loss of still existing muscle functions. The aim of rehabilitation is to maintain as many functions as possible and to rebuild muscle functions as best as possible after the inflammation has subsided.

Muscle inflammation in the arm

Muscle inflammation in the area of the arm and especially the entire upper arm is not uncommon. It is often triggered by rheumatic inflammation. A symptom of myositis in the arm is muscle weakness.

Especially muscles close to the trunk quickly become weak and flaccid. Often the affected patients notice the inflammation of the arm muscles when they have a feeling of muscle soreness without cause. The sore muscles cannot then be attributed to previous sporting activity.

It quickly leads to the fact that patients can hardly lift their arms above a certain level. After an exact diagnosis has been made, therapy must be initiated immediately before degenerative changes in the muscle occur. Above all, sparing and drug therapies must first be followed. After healing, physiotherapy may become necessary.