Muscle Rigidity
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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
About the Symptom
Also known as myalgia, muscle rigidity refers to the sensation of muscles feeling stiff, sore, achy and less mobile than normal.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Involuntary movements
- Fine tremor of the fingers
- Muscle weakness in the limbs
- Numbness / sensory disorder
- Impossible to walk normally
- Back pain
- Abnormal sensation (tingling, prickling)
- Disorder of consciousness
- Head injury
- Seizure attack
- Unilateral blindness
- Neck pain / stiffness
Possible Causes
Generally, Muscle rigidity can be related to:
- Parkinson's Disease
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.
- Spasticity
Spasticity is abnormal muscle tightness due to extended muscle contraction. It is typically linked to damage to the spinal cord, brain, or nerves.
- Striatal Substantia Nigra Degeneration
This neurological disorder is caused by a disruption in the connection between two brain areas - the striatum and the substantia nigra. These areas work together to maintain balance and movement. It can be caused by other neurological disorders like Parkinson's or cocaine abuse.
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Muscle rigidity may be related to these serious diseases:
- Encephalitis / Encephalopathy
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.
- Sleep-Related Rhythmic Movement Disorder
- Cerebral Hemorrhage
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you have stiff muscles and/or inflexible joints even with assistance?
- Did the first symptom involve stiff muscles and/or joints that couldn't be bent even with help?
- How long have you had stiffness, rigidity in muscles and difficulty bending joints?
- How has your joint stiffness and bending difficulty evolved over time?
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 Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
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.