Can Muscle Weakness Be Caused by Anxiety?

As your level of worry increases, you may experience various physical anxiety symptoms, such as a racing heart, fast breathing, shaking, or trembling. Additionally, when your stress level decreases, you may feel tired and exhausted throughout your body.

Muscle weakness can exacerbate existing worry and be quite frightening. You may experience overwhelming distress if you are under a lot of stress or concern.

Naturally, if this condition persists, day-to-day functioning may become quite challenging. Furthermore, engaging in physical activity might seem unattainable.

What is the connection between weakness and anxiety? Let’s get into more details about this.

How Can You Tell If Your Weakness Is Due to Anxiety?

Weakness in the muscles is not a typical sign ⁽¹⁾ of anxiousness. Nonetheless, it may occur in combination with other symptoms of a panic attack ⁽²⁾ or when you are extremely tight, pressured, apprehensive, or anxious. It can also occasionally occur in the absence of any triggers. Muscular dystrophy, or increasing muscle weakening, has also been linked to stress problems, including anxiety, according to a study ⁽³⁾.

It can also be present in different degrees of intensity, ranging from hardly noticeable to quite noticeable. Daily activities may be hampered by this.

When worry is the reason, one or more muscles may feel so weak, numb, heavy, or exhausted that it is difficult to move, relax, or release a group of muscles. Because your muscles aren’t supporting your weight or bodily motions, you could also feel worn out. Anxiety specifically affects the muscles in the hands, arms, neck, chest, stomach, and back. Anxiety-related muscular weakness might resemble signs of more serious conditions, including Parkinson’s disease ⁽⁴⁾, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or multiple sclerosis (MS).

Anxiety and Fatigue: What May Lead to Such a Repercussion?

Anxiety-related muscular weakness can be caused by various circumstances. It can cause actual muscular weakening as well as the “feeling” of muscle weakness. The following are the most common causes of symptoms of muscular weakness brought on by anxiety: ⁽⁵⁾

1. The reaction of “fight or flight.” Numerous physiological, psychological, and emotional changes take place during this stress reaction. ⁽⁶⁾ These might include hyperactive nervous system, rapid respiration, elevated blood pressure ⁽⁷⁾, etc. You may feel as though your muscles have lost their energy as a result of this.
2. Both hyperventilation and hypoventilation. Taking deeper or faster breaths is a sign of hyperventilation. Hypoventilation, on the other hand, is sluggish or held breathing. Blood flow to the brain is decreased by both breathing types. A decrease in CO₂ can cause great fatigue, weight, and weakness in your muscles, as well as dizziness and lightheadedness.
3. Low blood sugar. Anxiety and stress can lower blood sugar levels and drain your body’s energy reserves. This illness may result in heavy muscles, exhaustion, and dizziness.
4. Weariness and tense muscles. Anxiety and fatigue can cause your body to feel exhausted and your muscles to become rigid. You can therefore lose strength as a result of your muscles becoming so worn out.
5. Lack of sleep. In addition to causing symptoms ⁽⁸⁾ like fatigue, weakness, and dizziness, anxiety can also disrupt the regular sleep pattern.
6. A sense of vulnerability. Anxiety disorders can cause ⁽⁹⁾ a person to become too preoccupied with them and their symptoms. They may mistakenly believe they are experiencing pain or weakness in their muscles. Their perspective of what is occurring to their body may become too acute. Alternatively, people could exaggerate how bad the sensations are in their muscles.

How to Get Rid of Anxiety-Related Fatigue

Try these self-help techniques to lessen the sensation of having weak muscles if you are not truly and adequately exhausted:

• To let your brain know that your muscles are working well, go for a stroll, practice yoga    ⁽¹⁰⁾or stretch.
• Eliminate hyperventilation and hypoventilation by using breathing exercises to restore your breathing.
• Use mental activities, outside time, music, phone conversations, or meditation to divert your attention from sore muscles.

If none of the aforementioned relieves your muscular weakness, a mental health ⁽¹¹⁾ professional’s guidance on anxiety therapy will be beneficial. Any of the following choices, or a combination of them, may be presented to you:

1. Anxiety-related medications. If you feel out of control and your regular life is severely impacted by your muscular weakness, think about seeing a doctor. They will assess your symptoms and, if required, recommend anxiety medication. Our licensed mental health professionals can recommend the appropriate medications to reduce your anxiety symptoms.
2. CBT, or cognitive behavioral treatment. Therapy will assist you in addressing anxiety, which is the root cause of your physical weakness. Together with your therapist, a customized treatment plan will help you reach your therapeutic objectives more quickly.

The bottom line

Is it possible for anxiety to result in muscular weakness? Indeed, it may, particularly during times of extreme worry and persistent anxiety. To properly manage and eliminate the symptoms, try to identify the underlying reasons.

If you adhere to your treatment plan, anxiety-related muscular weakness can be avoided.