What does myopathy mean?
Myopathy is a medical term for a disease or disorder affecting muscle tissue. In its most familiar use, it describes conditions that cause skeletal muscles to become weak, waste away, or function poorly, although myopathies may also arise from inflammation, inherited genetic changes, metabolic defects, toxins, or medication. Symptoms can include difficulty walking, reduced strength, muscle cramps, and loss of muscle bulk. The word is also used more broadly in compound terms such as inflammatory myopathy, mitochondrial myopathy, and toxic myopathy, which identify the broad category and likely cause of the disorder. Myopathy should not be confused with myalgia: the former names a muscle disease or abnormality, while the latter means muscle pain. Accurate diagnosis usually depends on the particular type of myopathy and may involve examination, blood tests, imaging, genetic testing, or muscle biopsy.
nounA disease or disorder of muscle tissue, especially one affecting skeletal muscles and causing weakness, wasting, or impaired movement. The term may also refer more broadly to abnormalities of muscle function, including metabolic or inflammatory disorders.
- A disease or disorder of muscle tissue, particularly one causing weakness, wasting, or impaired movement.
"The patient was diagnosed with an inflammatory myopathy after months of progressive muscle weakness."
"Genetic testing helped doctors identify the inherited myopathy responsible for her progressive muscle weakness."
"The drug was discontinued after it was linked to a rare form of toxic myopathy."
The plural is used when referring to different types or cases of muscular disease.
"Inherited and inflammatory myopathies can both cause progressive muscle weakness."
Myopathy is a muscular hiding place: a broad medical label for disorders that can turn muscle weakness into a defining symptom.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does myopathy come from?
Myopathy combines the Greek combining form myo-, derived from mys, meaning "muscle," with pathos, meaning "suffering" or "disease." Its development reflects the established Greek practice of joining myo- with terms concerned with medical conditions. Related words built on the same muscle root include myalgia, myology, myocyte, and myoma.
Related word forms
How myopathy is actually used
This is primarily a medical term. In specialist usage, it can describe inflammatory, metabolic, mitochondrial, toxic, or inherited disorders affecting muscle, so the specific type is often identified with a modifier.
Easily confused with myopathy
Myopathy is a disease or structural disorder of muscle tissue, whereas myalgia refers to pain in the muscles.