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Atrophy of the gluteal muscles is, as a rule, a complication of various diseases, more often of a neuralgic nature or post-traumatic consequences with a complete or partial loss of motor ability. In some cases, the disease is caused by a hereditary factor. The muscle tissue of the buttocks is significantly reduced in volume, becomes thinner, regenerates and is replaced by connective and fatty, sometimes disappears completely.
Causes and symptoms of atrophy of the gluteal muscles
Muscular atrophy is divided into simple (or primary) and neurogenic (or secondary). In the primary variant of muscle atrophy (myopathy), the muscle tissue itself is affected as a result of impaired innervation (supply of muscle fibers with nerves). An essential role is played by factors that give impetus to the beginning of the formation of the pathological process – excessive physical activity and the general condition of the human body, various infectious and neuralgic diseases, injuries.
Secondary or neurogenic atrophy, as a rule, accompanies some serious diseases in which the motor neurons of the spinal cord, nerve roots or peripheral nerves are affected. The cause of atrophy is often an injury to the nerve trunks or infectious diseases that cause the death of nerve cells in the spinal cord; neurological diseases – osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, arthritis and arthrosis.
Prolonged forced inactivity of the patient as a result of strokes, paralysis, paresis also leads to the development of atrophy of the gluteal muscles. In some cases, it is progressive muscular atrophy or sex-linked myopathy, the disease is hereditary.
The clinical picture depends on the root cause of the onset and development of gluteal muscle atrophy. If the disease is primary, then it is characterized by a slow and gradual manifestation – with progressive muscular dystrophy, the patient has a specific “duck gait”.
In the secondary form of atrophy of the gluteal muscles, the symptoms depend on the degree of damage and the nature of the underlying disease. In the syndrome of the superior gluteal nerve, pain is noted in the upper gluteal region and thigh. For hereditary myopathy, which occurs only in boys in early childhood, the development of atrophy of the muscles of the buttocks is also characteristic, which, in combination with other manifestations of the disease, leads to the complete immobility of the child.
Myopathic phenomena noticeably increase under the influence of various adverse factors – infections, intoxications, overvoltage. They differ in the symmetry of the process, with atrophy of one muscle group, others increase compensatoryly. More often, the volume of muscle tissue increases not due to muscle fibers, but as a result of their replacement with adipose and connective tissue. Muscles become large, but weak, flabby, they have no strength.
Gluteal tendinitis or myotendenitis due to the dynamic progression of motor disorders is also the cause of atrophy. With this disease, the tendons are affected, and the process passes to the muscle tissue. Muscle weakness is noted, atrophy sets in, motor disturbances increase – it becomes difficult for the patient to rise from a horizontal position. The progression of the disease often leads to a rupture at the junction of the muscle with the tendon, with pain after a click and limitation of limb mobility.
Weakness and atrophy of the muscle tissue of the gluteal region is associated with a violation of their innervation by the upper and lower gluteal nerves, which leads to certain difficulties in straightening the bent torso, extension and rotation of the lower limb in the thigh. Paralysis of the gluteus maximus muscle becomes noticeable when running, jumping, climbing stairs or an inclined plane. When walking on level ground, paralysis is not noticeable.
Diagnosis and treatment of gluteal muscle atrophy
Diagnosis is carried out on the basis of the examination and careful collection of anamnesis, if necessary, other methods of examination are used. The choice of tactics and treatment option depends on the degree of progression of the disease, as well as on the depth of muscle tissue damage.
In any case, first of all, therapy should be aimed at treating the underlying disease that caused the development of atrophy. Symptomatic therapy will help alleviate and improve the patient’s condition. Non-drug treatment is also actively used, namely, physiotherapy. In severe cases, only conservative treatment is carried out, the purpose of which is to prevent the deterioration of the patient’s condition, and moral and psychological support and appropriate care are also very important.
[Video] How to treat muscle atrophy: