I'm trawling through information here there and everywhere and can't get a definitive answer on this one.

Does anyone know what actually causes muscle fatigue and/or weakness especially in the legs? Walking through treacle, too tired to move, leg pain. Anyone with good explanations why?
thank you people. x

I would assume it's because signals arent getting to the muscles, or the signals are really weak, and the muscles arent getting enough "information" from the nerves to tell them that they need to move. To us, that feels like weakness.

That's just my interpretation of it.

I think it depends on what is going on. There are lots of things that can cause leg weakness, right down to vitamin deficiencies.

In the case of MS as well as other neurological conditions, from what I understand and in addition to Erins explanation, nerves are telling our muscles to contract when they really don't need to contract, otherwise known as spasticity. This constant contracting can certainly makes us feel as though we have run a marathon when all we did is walk 25 feet (sometimes less). Our muscles get tired much quicker and we have to use more effort and energy to get our bodies to move in the way we want them to, such as walking. This causes muscle fatigue that you are describing.

Good answers, my first clear lesions were on my c and t spine MRIs, the signal to the legs has to fight constantly to get thru? My legs always felt heavy and weak from the start.

No matter how I tried to correct it thru exercise it continued to progress.


http://www.lamarfreed.net/fatiguems.html

I think Erin hit the nail right on the head, if you have MS. TK was also right on as well.

Feel better..

I have such profound weakness in my left leg. Especially noticeable when I walk. But at night.....when I'm trying to relax.....my left leg seems to get a life of it's own! I have to keep moving it and flexing/relaxing the muscle. If I try not to it moves on it's own and gets the strangest feeling - not painful but definitely uncomfortable. I get L'Hermitts symptoms in my left leg, too. If I turn my head down towards my chest and turn it to the right my left leg feels like it's almost coming off the floor and I lose all coordination in it. Very, very strange sensations.

Some of our weakness must be due to atrophy. Fatigue causes less use causes atrophy causes weakness? That's what I've come up with. Many reasons probably.

ANN

Kitty, sounds like restless leg syndrome has hit you...

I agree with T...my muscles are constantly contracted. My neuro couldn't believe how huge my calf muscles are, and how hard. So after a while of standing or walking, they begin to hurt and/or feel like they're trying to walk through thick molasses.