Loss of strength - Renew Hormone Center

What is loss of strength?

Loss of strength refers to a reduction in the ability to exert force with your muscles during activities. This can significantly impact your quality of life and limit your independence.

Some key causes of loss of strength include:

• Aging: As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and nerve cells that control muscle movement (sarcopenia). This leads to reduced strength.
• Inactivity: Not using your muscles regularly can lead them to waste away and lose strength over time.
• Injury or illness: Things like joint injuries, arthritis, stroke, heart disease or hormone deficiencies can all negatively impact muscle strength.

Symptoms of loss of strength can include:

• Difficulty performing daily tasks like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, getting out of a chair or bathtub etc.
• Feeling exhausted, shaky or unsteady when active
• Falling or inability to catch yourself if you lose balance

Evaluating Your Strength

If you think you may be losing strength, talk to your doctor. They can do assessments like:

• Grip strength tests: Squeeze a dynamometer as hard as you can with each hand to measure arm and hand strength
• Sit-to-stand tests: Time how long it takes to get up from a chair and sit back down without using your hands
• Gait speed tests: Measure your walking pace over 4 meters

These provide objective data about current strength levels to monitor changes over time.

Improving Strength

The good news is that in many cases, loss of strength may be reversed or managed with appropriate intervention:

• Exercise: Strength training with resistance bands, weights or specialized machines can rebuild muscle.
• Nutrition: Getting sufficient calories, protein, vitamins like D and minerals like magnesium supports muscle health.
• Physical therapy: Working with a PT can ensure exercises are performed safely and effectively.

Early evaluation and treatment is key to maintaining strength, independence and quality of life. Don't ignore signs of declining strength - talk to your doctor and explore options like physical therapy, nutrition plans or hormone therapy. With the right approach, you can rebuild strength at any age.