Health Topic

Neuromuscular Disorders

Neuromuscular disorders affect the nerves that control your voluntary muscles. Many are genetic. Read about different disorders and treatments.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Neuromuscular Disorders

Neuromuscular disorders affect your neuromuscular system. They can cause problems with:

  • The nerves that control your muscles
  • Your muscles
  • Communication between your nerves and muscles

These disorders can cause your muscles to become weak and waste away. You may also have symptoms such as spasms, twitching, and pain.

Examples of neuromuscular disorders include:

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Spinal muscular atrophy

There can be different causes for these diseases. Many of them are genetic.This means they are inherited (run in families) or are caused by a new mutation in your genes. Some neuromuscular disorders are autoimmune diseases. Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Many neuromuscular diseases have no cure. But treatments may improve symptoms, increase mobility, and lengthen life.

It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles and Brain and Nerves.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Neuromuscular Disorders

13,243 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Living With

Related Issues

Genetics

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Neuromuscular Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Neuromuscular Disorders, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.