DO YOU RECOGNIZE ANY OF THESE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS IN YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW?

Share your checklist with a doctor

Get up, you can’t be that weak. – Comments like those have resonated with me ever since I was a kid. But I’m not weak. I have a neuromuscular disease.

– Hugo*

Signs and symptoms of a neuromuscular disease can vary among individuals and may be age-dependent. These symptoms may include:

Poor balance with frequent falls
Muscle weakness
- Difficulty walking or running
- Walking with swaying hips or a waddle
- Difficulty performing sports
- Difficulty climbing stairs
- Difficulty rising from an armchair
- Difficulty rising from a lying position
- Difficulty carrying or lifting objects (even light ones)
- Difficulty raising arms over your head or keeping arms up
- Difficulty washing or brushing your hair

Gradual muscle loss or wasting
Muscle soreness, cramps or pain
Loss of function
Fatigue, daytime sleepiness or morning headaches
Trouble breathing while sleeping (sleep apnea)
Difficulty chewing or swallowing
Tongue weakness
Acid reflux (heartburn)
Lower back pain
Scoliosis
Limited range of movement
Drooping eyelids

You should talk to a doctor if you or someone you know has any of these signs or symptoms – it could be related to a neuromuscular disease

* Fictitious patient.