Dystrophy - A Muscle War

Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is weakening of muscles. There are many types of Muscular Dystrophy all of which are caused, by faults in genes (the units of inheritance that parents pass on to their children). MD weakens muscles over time, so children, teens, and adults who have the disease can gradually lose the ability to do the things most people take for granted, like walking or sitting up. Someone with MD might start having muscle problems as a baby or their symptoms might start later. Some people even develop MD as adults.

There are many forms of Muscular Dystrophy they are:

• Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD)
• Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD)
• Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD)
• Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD)
• Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)
• Myotonic dystrophy (MMD)
• Congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD)
• Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OMD)
• Distal Muscular Dystrophy

Doctors generally assess the condition by knowing the medical history of the person and evaluate the kind of  MD by doing some test that find the condition of muscle and nerves, various blood test and sometimes even a muscle biopsy is done. Some cases may be mild and progress very slowly over a normal lifespan, while others produce severe muscle weakness, functional disability, and loss of the ability to walk. However there is no cure, MD affected person can do some things to help their muscles. Certain exercises and physical therapy can help them avoid contractures, a stiffening of the muscles near the joints that can make it harder to move and can lock the joints in painful positions. Often, teens are fitted with special braces to ensure flexible joints and tendons (the strong, rubber band-like tissues that attach muscles to bones). Surgery is sometimes advised to reduce pain and increase movement from contractures.

Apart from this as with many genetic diseases, a successful and effective treatment is not been discovered, but research is currently making big strides towards genetic engineering, and a treatment may be available in a few decades. Meanwhile, patients are generally advised to keep their muscles in good shape by exercising them (with specific training and workouts), and undergo medical treatment such as orthopedic surgery and drug administration.
Today there are alternative therapies like yoga that offers partial cure or even complete cure (no evidence) through various yoga practices. Let us hope for better tomorrow for people affected with Muscular Dystrophy