Muscle atrophy from disuse is characterized, to put it bluntly, by weak flabby muscles. The signs and symptoms are easy to spot both on ourselves as well as on others. Muscles which are not exercised become weak and may eventually atrophy. The signs and symptoms of neurogenic muscle atrophy are a bit more difficult for the layperson to recognize quickly. Medical dictionaries list the number one symptom as postural muscle weakness. However, that definition requires another definition in order to even understand what they’re talking about. The postural muscles are also called antigravity muscles, but a simple way to look at it is postural muscles are those which help us to stand erect.

Consequently, one of the first signs of neurogenic muscle atrophy is a stooped posture. Other symptoms may include back pain, walking problems, Achilles tendon contractures, ham string contractures, limited range of neck motion, a rigid spine and even heart failure. Again, the heart is a muscle and should it atrophy, it will most likely also fail. Some of these symptoms can be visibly detected even by a layperson, but other symptoms such as increased creatine kinase levels need diagnostic tests performed by medical professionals in order to detect.