Why is it difficult to go up the stairs and walk with myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis disrupts the communication between nerves and muscles, causing your muscles to weaken and tire more easily. This affects your skeletal muscles, including the large muscle groups in your legs that you need for walking and climbing Show Full Answer
Why is it difficult to go up the stairs and walk with myasthenia gravis?
Myasthenia gravis disrupts the communication between nerves and muscles, causing your muscles to weaken and tire more easily. This affects your skeletal muscles, including the large muscle groups in your legs that you need for walking and climbing stairs.
The muscle weakness tends to worsen with repetitive movements and activity. So activities like walking or going up stairs, which require your leg muscles to work repeatedly, can make the weakness more noticeable and exhausting.
The good news is that this muscle fatigue typically improves with rest. You might notice that these activities are easier earlier in the day when you're less fatigued, and become harder as the day goes on.
Physical therapy can help improve your strength and mobility in these large muscle groups. A physical therapist can guide you through safe, supervised exercises that build strength without overdoing it. They can also suggest assistive devices or modifications to make these daily activities easier and less straining on your body.
If you're noticing new or worsening difficulty with walking or stairs, it's important to discuss this with your neurologist, as it may signal disease progression.
November 30, 2025
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