Sarcopenia: What Age-Related Muscle Loss Does to You (And How to Overcome It)
Getting older can feel as if it's about all things new: new aches and pains, new medications, new conditions. While most seniors are aware of new symptoms relating to diseases like dementia, arthritis and diabetes, many don't know much about sarcopenia, the medical term for naturally occurring, age-related muscle loss. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, sarcopenia typically starts at about age 40, but the patients we see in physical therapy tend to be in their 60s. Sarcopenia falls under the umbrella of "clinical geriatric syndromes," which refers to conditions that coincide with advancing age but do not have a single cause. It can correlate with a sedentary lifestyle, an unbalanced diet, and chronic inflammation. How age-related muscle loss affects seniors Studies show that low muscle mass contributes to mobility…
