MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Muscular dystrophy is an inherited muscle disease which is characterized by weakness and atrophy in various muscle groups.   There are thirty different types of muscular dystrophy, with symptoms that range in rom mild to extremely severe.  The different types also manifest at different ages and impact different parts of the body. I will go into more detail on each type and the implications in separate posts.

The most common forms of muscular dystrophy in children are Duchenne and Becker, approximately 1 in every 7,000 males.  The most common adult form of muscular dystrophy is Myotonic type 1, which affects approximately 1 in 8000 adults.  The incidence of muscular dystrophy (MD) in the United States varies, because different kinds of MD are rarer than others.

There are a number of tests that can be run to make an accurate diagnosis.  Also, other family members can be tested to see if they have the muscular dystrophy gene.

There are solutions on the horizon that will conquer this disease, the foremost  is stem cell therapy.  Actually, there are a number of companies that are performing stem cell therapy outside the United States.  I would urge caution before paying money to anyone, as there have not been any proven therapies or cures.  I will dedicate a future posts to these potential treatments and cures.

Currently, according to contemporary medicine muscular dystrophy cannot be cured, but there are various treatments which can help.