Stiff Muscles Are Characterized by __________

The feature findings associated with SPS are progressive, fluctuating muscular rigidity that occurs along with muscle spasms. The severity and progression of SPS can vary from ane person to another. The symptoms commonly develop over a period of months and may remain stable for many years or slowly worsen. In some people, symptoms can be stabilized through medication. Affected individuals should talk to their physician and medical team about their specific case, associated symptoms and overall prognosis.

In many cases, SPS begins slowly over several months or a few years. Affected individuals may initially experience aching discomfort, stiffness, or pain, especially in the lower back or legs (predominantly classic type). Early on on, stiffness may come and go, but it gradually becomes fixed. The shoulders, neck, and hips may also be affected. As the illness progresses, stiffness of the leg muscles develops, and is ofttimes more pronounced on i side than the other (asymmetrical). This leads to a irksome, strong manner of walking. As stiffness increases, afflicted individuals may develop a hunched or slouched posture due to outward curving of the upper spine (kyphosis) or an arched back due to inward curving of the lower spine (hyperlordosis). In some individuals, stiffness may progress to involve the arms or face.

In addition to muscular rigidity/stiffness, individuals with SPS also develop muscle spasms, which may occur for no credible reason (spontaneously) or in response to various triggering events (i.eastward., stimuli). Spasms tin can be triggered past unexpected or loud noises, minor physical contact, cold environments, stress or situations that cause a heightened emotional response. Muscle spasms are often very painful and normally worsen existing stiffness. The spasms may involve the entire torso or only a specific region. The legs are often involved, which may lead to falls. Spasms of abdominal muscles may pb to individuals feeling full faster than normal (early on satiety) leading to unintended weight loss. Spasms involving the chest and respiratory muscles tin exist serious, potentially requiring emergency medical treatment with ventilatory support. Spasms may last several minutes, but occasionally final for hours. Sudden withdrawal of medication in individuals with SPS may result in a life-threatening situation with overwhelmingly astringent muscle spasms. Sleep commonly suppresses the frequency of contractions.

In some cases, SPS becomes astringent enough to bear upon an individual’s power to perform daily activities and routines. Some individuals may need to use an assistance device such as a pikestaff, walker or wheelchair. Some affected individuals feel uncontrollable feet when they need to cantankerous large, open areas unassisted (agoraphobia) and go reluctant to go exterior. If left untreated, SPS can potentially progress to cause significant disability or life-threatening complications such as respiratory compromise.

SPS may be associated with other autoimmune disorders more frequently than would exist regularly expected to occur in the general population. The most mutual associated condition is diabetes. Less commonly, afflicted individuals may also develop inflammation of the thyroid (thyroiditis), pernicious anemia and vitiligo. Pernicious anemia is characterized by low levels of red bloods cells due to the torso’s disability to absorb vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract. Vitiligo is a pare condition in which loss of color (pigmentation) of areas of peel results in the development of abnormal white patches. Clinical reports indicate that individuals with SPS also have an increased incidence of epilepsy.

Several variants of SPS have been reported in the medical literature suggesting that SPS represents a spectrum of disease ranging from the interest of i specific, localized area to widespread involvement. These variants include stiff-limb syndrome, jerking potent-person syndrome, progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus, and paraneoplastic-related SPS. These variants are sometimes collectively referred to as “stiff-person plus syndromes”.

Strong-limb syndrome is characterized past the localized involvement of one limb, usually a leg. The stiffness and muscle spasms are extremely similar to those found in archetype stiff-person syndrome. Stiff-limb syndrome may progress to eventually bear upon both legs and may cause difficulty walking. Some individuals may eventually develop archetype stiff-person syndrome or variant SPS. When SPS affects only i specific expanse of the torso, it may as well exist referred to as focal or partial stiff-person syndrome.

Jerking stiff-person syndrome is characterized by muscles stiffness and spasms commonly affecting the legs. Affected individuals too develop involvement of the brainstem, which can cause myoclonus. Myoclonus is a general term used to describe the sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle or group of muscles caused by musculus contractions (positive myoclonus) or muscle relaxation (negative myoclonus). The twitching or jerking of muscles cannot be controlled past the person experiencing it. Only a handful of cases of jerking stiff-person syndrome take been described in the medical literature.

Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) is characterized by stiffness and painful muscles that are like to those seen in individuals with archetype potent-person syndrome. PERM is more than rapidly progressive than other forms of SPS; onset of symptoms usually occurs over several weeks. Stiffness and spasms may occur along with, before or afterward the evolution of other symptoms including vertigo, a lack of coordination of voluntary muscles (ataxia), and difficulty speaking (dysarthria). In some cases, the cranial fretfulness may also get involved causing paralysis of certain eye muscles (ophthalmoplegia), rapid, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and hearing loss. PERM is considered a distinct disorder from classic SPS and some feel that information technology is a singled-out condition all together. There is no evidence that SPS will inevitably evolve into PERM.

Paraneoplastic-related stiff-person syndrome is a rare disorder that affects the nervous organisation in some individuals with cancer, specially individuals with cancer of the lungs or breast. The disorder is characterized by stiffness and rigidity, along with painful spasms. Symptoms usually begin in the muscles of the lower dorsum and legs, although some individuals experience neck and upper torso symptoms offset. The disorder may grow progressively worse eventually affecting the arms and other parts of the torso. Painful muscle spasms tin can be worsened or triggered by a variety of events including anxiety, loud or unexpected noises or lite physical contact. Paraneoplastic stiff-person syndrome is thought to be immune-mediated and is typically associated with a dissimilar auto-antibody (called anti-amphiphysin) than is institute in individuals with archetype strong-person syndrome. This antibody is usually found in the blood and spinal fluid of affected individuals. (For more than data on this disorder, choose “paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes” as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)