Consequences of immobilization and disuse: a short review

Immobilization and disuse of a body part is a quite common condition in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from injuries or diseases. There are a number of deleterious effects, including systems and organs such as the respiratory, cardiac and skeletal muscle. The clinical and physiological principal aspects revised in this short review are: muscular atrophy, general metabolic alterations, increase of connective tissue, muscular power loss, oxidative stress, loss of weight and neural changes. We conclude that immobilization/disuse should be evaluated and questioned if we really have indicated before being prescribed, as this causes many physiological and clinical deleterious effects.