Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Dec 6, 2023
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Worried about your symptoms?
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Muscle spasms
Unsteady gait
Body shaking for no reason
Stiffness
Muscle tension
Limbs falling asleep easily and frequently
Balance issues
Tremors
With a free 3-min Muscle Rigidity quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
See full list
Also known as myalgia, muscle rigidity refers to the sensation of muscles feeling stiff, sore, achy and less mobile than normal.
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Generally, Muscle rigidity can be related to:
Spasticity is abnormal muscle tightness due to extended muscle contraction. It is typically linked to damage to the spinal cord, brain, or nerves.
A progressive nervous system disorder affecting movement. It occurs due to nerve cell damage in the brain. The exact cause for PD is unknown. Risk factors include genetics, male gender, old age, and exposure to certain toxins and environmental factors.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of unknown cause. It typically affects women more than men over the age of 50. Classic symptoms include pain in the neck, shoulders, hips, upper arms and thighs.
Sometimes, Muscle rigidity may be related to these serious diseases:
Encephalitis and encephalopathy are brain conditions that can result in permanent damage. Encephalitis refers to brain inflammation, while encephalopathy is a broad term for any brain disease or disorder. Several causes can lead to these conditions, including infections, trauma, metabolic problems, drugs, and lack of oxygen to the brain.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
Roy EP 3rd, Gutmann L. Myalgia. Neurol Clin. 1988 Aug;6(3):621-36. PMID: 3065604.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3065604/#:~:text=Myalgia%2C%20a%20common%20symptom%20resulting,successful%20treatment%20in%20many%20cases.Reviewed By:
Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
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