Leg muscle weakness in elderly loved ones typically doesn't indicate rare diseases; it's often something as simple as a vitamin deficiency. With that said, you should seek emergency medical care if sudden weakness comes, including sharp pain, loss of bowel or bladder control, or signs of a stroke.
Sudden leg weakness can be a cause for concern and should prompt immediate medical attention. Some causes of sudden leg weakness include stroke (due to a decrease in oxygen reaching parts of the brain), spinal cord damage, or a pinched nerve coming out of the spinal cord.
According to LiveStrong.com, sitting down for long periods of time, “can cause muscle fibers to break down. This is known as muscle atrophy and can make your leg muscles weak over time.” Some easy ways to avoid prolonged sitting and standing are to take a walk or climb stairs.
Issues involving the spinal cord are the most prevalent source of leg weakness. A narrowed spinal canal, or stenosis, puts pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. You might experience pain, tingling, heaviness or weakness in the legs.
As a result, people with heart failure often feel weak (especially in their arms and legs), tired and have difficulty performing ordinary activities such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying groceries.
Leg weakness should always be evaluated by a doctor as it may be caused by a serious underlying condition that requires treatment. Get emergency medical care if: Your weakness is accompanied by sudden, severe pain in your back or leg. You experience loss of bladder or bowel control.
Blood often backs up and causes fluid to build up in the lungs (congest) and in the legs. The fluid buildup can cause shortness of breath and swelling of the legs and feet. Poor blood flow may cause the skin to appear blue (cyanotic).
Muscle weakness due to vitamin D deficiency is predominantly of the proximal muscle groups and is manifested by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, tiring easily, and difficulty in mounting stairs and rising from a chair; the deficiency is reversible with supplementation (15–18).
Infections. Injuries, such as fractures (broken bones), sprains, and tendinitis. Movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. Neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis and peripheral nerve disorders.
They discovered common factors that lead to loss of mobility, such as older age, low physical activity, obesity, impaired strength and balance, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.
There are different personal risk factors that cause people to fall, however, people with dementia are at greater risk because they: are more likely to experience problems with mobility, balance and muscle weakness.
"Older people can definitely regain good leg strength if they do regular strengthening exercises and increase the intensity of their exercises in a slow and safe way.
Legs can “give way” due to muscle issues, especially while exercising. These instances are not cause for alarm typically. But if your legs give way and you lose complete control or feeling, the spinal nerves are likely the culprit. The nerves in our spine help deliver signals from our brain to the legs.
Therefore, it's important to eat foods rich in vitamin D including, sockeye salmon, egg yolk, canned tuna, swordfish, Swiss cheese, beef liver, yogurt, breakfast cereals, sardines, and margarine, especially when trying to prevent or resolve the feeling of heavy legs.
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain and muscle weakness.
Walking and running are great ways to build leg strength. However, over time, your legs become accustomed to the motion and eventually can hit a plateau. This could also limit your performance.
Ageing, an inevitable process, is commonly measured by chronological age and, as a convention, a person aged 65 years or more is often referred to as 'elderly'.
People with heart failure are often unable to do their normal activities because they become easily tired and short of breath. C = Congestion. Fluid buildup in the lungs can result in coughing, wheezing, and breathing difficulty.
Fatigue and Activity Changes
The easiest way to know that heart failure is getting worse is you're able to do less and less. People start pacing themselves. They stop doing hobbies that involve any physical activity. They used to go fishing, but not anymore.
Rising from a squatting position or stepping onto a chair tests proximal leg strength; walking on the heels and on tiptoe tests distal strength. Pushing with the arms to get out of a chair indicates quadriceps weakness.