Myositis

Overview What is myositis? Myositis is a disease that makes your immune system attack your muscles. It causes chronic Myositis is a type of myopathy. • Arms and shoulders. • Legs and hips. • Abdomen and spine (your trunk). Other people with myositis experience muscle weakness on or near their: • • • Experts aren’t certain what causes myositis, and there’s no cure for it. Your healthcare provider will treat the symptoms you’re experiencing. They’ll also recommend exercises like stretching and physical movements that can help strengthen your affected muscles between episodes of myositis symptoms. Visit a healthcare provider if you feel weak, have trouble moving or notice new pain or rashes on your skin. Go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. What are the types of myositis? A healthcare provider will diagnose a type of myositis based on your symptoms and the location of your affected muscles. There are a few different forms of myositis, including: • • • Polymyositis Polymyositis affects multiple muscles at the same time. It usually causes symptoms in muscles on or near the center of your body. Polymyositis develops gradually over time. It typically affects adults. Women and people assigned female at birth are twice as likely to develop polymyositis than men and people assigned male at birth. If you have polymyositis, you might have trouble performing movements you usually can, including: • Standing up after sitting. • Climbing stairs. • Lifting ...

Causes of Myositis Myositis is caused by any condition that leads to Inflammatory conditions. Conditions causing inflammation throughout the body may affect the muscles, causing myositis. Many of these causes are autoimmune conditions, in which the body attacks its own tissues. Inflammatory conditions causing potentially severe myositis include: • Dermatomyositis • Polymyositis • Inclusion body myositis Other inflammatory conditions tend to cause milder forms of myositis, including: • Lupus • • Rheumatoid arthritis Inflammatory conditions are often the most serious myositis causes, requiring long-term treatment. Infection. Drugs. Many different • Alpha- • Alcohol • • • • Myopathy may occur right after starting a medication or may occur after taking a drug for months or years. Sometimes it is caused by an interaction between two different medications. Severe myositis caused by medications is rare. Injury. Vigorous Rhabdomyolysis . Rhabdomyolysis occurs when muscles break down quickly. Symptoms of Myositis The main symptom of myositis is muscle weakness. The weakness may be noticeable or may only be found with testing. Muscle pain (myalgias) may or may not be present. The weakness from myositis can lead to falls and make it difficult to get up from a chair or after a fall. Other symptoms that may be present with inflammatory conditions include: • • • Thickening of the • Difficulty swallowing • Difficulty breathing People with myositis caused by a virus usually have symptoms ...

Myositis • • • • • • What is Myositis? Myositis is the medical term for muscle inflammation. In myositis, inflammation damages the fibers of a muscle. This causes muscles to be weak by interfering with the ability of the muscles to contract. Although myositis can cause muscle aches and muscle tenderness, weakness is usually the dominant symptom. In some cases, myositis is a short-term problem that goes away after a few days or weeks. In other cases, it is part of a chronic (long-term) condition. Chronic forms of myositis can lead to muscle atrophy (wasting and shrinking) and severe disability. There are many different types of myositis, including: • Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. In this rare group of muscle diseases, the cause of the muscle inflammation is unknown (idiopathic). There are three major types: dermatomyositis, polymyositis and inclusion body myositis. In the United States, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies affect about 1 out of every 100,000 people. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are most common in women, whereas inclusion body myositis affects men more often. Symptoms can start at any age, but the average age of first symptoms is a bit younger in dermatomyositis and polymyositis (age 50) than in inclusion body myositis (age 60). So far, most of the evidence suggests that polymyositis and dermatomyositis are autoimmune disorders, illnesses in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. In inclusion body myositis, the muscle also...

The term “myositis” refers to a general inflammation or swelling of the muscle. Many people have experienced sore muscles after vigorous exercise, a condition that is temporary and improves with rest. Other conditions that can cause muscle weakness and pain include infection, muscle injury from medications, inherited diseases, electrolyte imbalances, and thyroid disease. More often, however, the term myositis is used to refer to a disease involving chronic inflammation of the muscles, often occurring together with other symptoms. This condition is also known as idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Visit Types of Myositis The disease is highly variable and has been classified into a number of • • • • • Inflammatory Myopathies Inflammatory myopathies are autoimmune diseases, meaning the body’s immune system, which normally fights infections and viruses, is misdirected and begins to attack the body’s own normal, healthy tissue. Inflammatory myopathies are rare diseases. All forms combined affect an estimated 50,000 to 75,000 people in the United States. While it is still unclear what causes myositis, some scientists believe certain individuals have a genetic predisposition to develop an autoimmune disease, which is triggered by an environmental exposure to some trigger, such as infection, virus, toxin, or sunlight. Symptoms Symptoms of weakness, swelling, and muscle damage often appear gradually. Long before patients are diagnosed, they may have trouble getting up from a c...

Myositis usually begins gradually, but can take a variety of forms. Sometimes the first sign is an unusual rash. Sometimes patients may start to trip or fall more frequently. Other signs include muscle weakness and pain, intense fatigue, and trouble climbing stairs or reaching over the head. Frequently, patients explain these symptoms away as signs of “getting old.” But myositis is a very real and often serious condition that needs to be taken seriously. Types of Myositis There are a few different forms of myositis. Review each of the myositis conditions below to learn the differences and similarities among the different types. Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis The most common form of myositis, sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), is typically found in people over 50. Symptoms are slow to progress and include difficulty walking or climbing stairs. Dermatomyositis Dermatomyositis (DM) affects people of all ages and sexes, but is more common among women. It is characterized by a rash that appears on the eyelids, cheeks, nose, back, upper chest, elbows, knees, and knuckles. Muscle weakness often comes later. Polymyositis Polymyositis occurs in people over the age of 20, affecting more women than men. It is characterized by muscle weakness that begins in the trunk (neck, hips, back and shoulders) and worsens over time. Necrotizing Myopathy Also called necrotizing autoimmune myopathy or immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, necrotizing myopathy (NM) is a newly defined form o...

Search this website Hide Search • About Myositis • Dermatomyositis • Inclusion Body Myositis • Juvenile Myositis • Polymyositis • Toxic Myopathies • Myositis Disease Education Videos • Our Center • Our Doctors • Our Team • Directions • Physician Referral Information • Preparing for an Appointment • In The News • Our Difference • Diagnosis of Myositis • Nutrition for Myositis Patients • Treatment of Myositis • Myositis Research • Current Research Studies • Recent Publications • Make a Gift • Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund A general term meaning inflammation of the muscles, myositis includes the following diseases: • • • • The above diseases are also referred to as inflammatory myopathies. They cause inflammation within muscle and muscle damage. Polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and juvenile myositis are all autoimmune diseases, meaning the body’s immune system is attacking the muscle. While the immune system may also cause muscle damage in inclusion body myositis, this may not be cause of this disease. Although myositis is often treatable, these diseases are poorly understood and do not always completely respond to current medications. Muscle inflammation and damage may also be caused by certain medications. These are called toxic myopathies. Perhaps the most common toxic myopathy is caused by statin medications which are frequently prescribed to lower cholesterol levels. In most cases, the muscle can recover once the problem medication is identified and stopped. Sympto...

Medical condition Myositis A muscle biopsy from someone who is diagnosed with myositis. Causes Myositis is a rare disease that involves inflammation of the muscles. Causes [ ] Injury, medicines, infection, or an autoimmune disorder can lead to myositis. It can also be idiopathic. • Injury - A mild form of myositis can occur with hard exercise. • Medicines - A variety of different medicines can cause myositis. One of the most common drug types that can cause myositis is statins. Statins are drugs that are used to help lower high cholesterol. One of the most common side effects of statin therapy is muscle pain. • Infection - The most common infectious cause of myositis is viral infections, such as the common cold. • Autoimmune - Diagnosis [ ] There are various tools that can be used to help diagnose myositis. The most common ones are physical exam, electromyography, magnetic resonance imaging, muscle biopsy, and blood tests. The first thing a doctor will likely do is perform a physical exam. Another possible test is an electromyography (EMG). This is a test that inserts tiny needles into the patient's muscles. Muscle biopsies are the most reliable tests for diagnosing myositis. There are also a variety of blood tests available that help in the diagnoses of myositis. The doctor may look for elevation of creatine kinase in blood, which is indicative of muscle inflammation. Treatment [ ] Treatment for myositis depends on the underlying cause. There are a variety of treatment op...