immobility

"If I’m being honest, I also didn’t want to admit to the depth of my disability. I had muscle spasms and immobility on my left side, and I tried to hide it," she said.

For some people, muscle loss worsens, leading to falls, immobility, a loss of autonomy and a condition called sarcopenia2.

Mrs Connor said that abuse was a "significant cause" for her immobility.

"Ellen Mercer's death was caused by nitrous oxide abuse and immobility that led to the development of a pulmonary embolism," she said.

Symptoms of this progressive neurological disease include memory loss, seizures and immobility.