It is characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement.
Some forms are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later.
The disorders differ in terms of the distribution ,extent of muscle weakness, age of onset, rate of progression, and pattern of inheritance.
Symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy
The following are some of the symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy:
1. Duchene MD is the most common and primarily affects boys.
Cause: absence of dystrophin, a protein involved in maintaining the integrity of muscle.
Onset: between 3 and 5 years and the disorder
Progress: rapidly.
Most boys are unable to walk by age 12, and later need a support for breathing like respirator. Girls in these families have a 50 percent chance of inheriting and passing the defective gene to their children.
2. Becker MD (very similar to but less severe than Duchenne MD) Mostly boys have faulty or not enough dystrophin.
3. Facioscapulohumeral MD: begins in the teenage years.
There is progressive weakness in muscles of the face, arms, legs, and around the shoulders and chest. It progresses slowly and can vary in symptoms from mild to disabling.
4. Myotonic MD: is the disorder's most common adult form.
There are prolonged muscle spasms, cataracts, cardiac abnormalities, and endocrine disturbances. Individuals with myotonic MD have long, thin faces, drooping eyelids, and a swan-like neck.
Homeopathic treatment for Muscular Dystrophy
- There is no specific treatment to stop or reverse any form of MD.
- Treatment: physical therapy, respiratory therapy, speech therapy, orthopedic appliances used for support, and corrective orthopedic surgery.
- Drug therapy: corticosteroids to slow muscle degeneration, anticonvulsants to control seizures and some muscle activity, immunosuppressant to delay some damage to dying muscle cells, and antibiotics to fight respiratory infections.
- Occupational therapy and assistive technology.
- Some patients may need assisted ventilation to treat respiratory muscle weakness and a pacemaker for cardiac abnormalities.
Prognosis
The prognosis for people with MD varies according to the type and progression of the disorder. Some cases may be mild and progress very slowly, while others produce severe muscle weakness, functional disability, and loss of the ability to walk. Some children with MD die in infancy while others live into adulthood with only moderate disability.
