Muscular Dystrophy (MD)

959 Words2 Pages

Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a disease that weakens the musculoskeletal system and affects the ability to move. MD also affects groups of muscles. In the 1860’s it was described that boys were progressively growing weaker, losing the ability to move and died at an early age. A decade after the first description a French, neurologist named Guillaume Duchenne gave account for thirteen boys with the most common and severe forms of Muscular Dystrophy. MD is being caused by a mutation of a gene within the X chromosome, and affects predominately males. Most MD are multisystem disorders and can affect other body systems that include the heart, gastrointestinal, nervous system, endocrine glands, eyes and brain. There are over 50,000 people in the United States that are diagnosed or living with muscular dystrophy. The following are the nine major forms of muscular dystrophy: • Myotonic: muscles have difficulty relaxing. • Duchenne: most common form of the disease. This for is found to be genetic. This is form is passed on through the mother who is a carrier or family has a history of the disease. Symptoms start about the ages of 2 to 6 and by the time the child is about the ages of 10 to 12 the child would be in a wheel chair. • Becker: this form affects boys. It starts at a later stage in life and can be less severe. Patients have been known to have problems with breathing, heart, muscles, and joints. Also been known to live long active lives without a wheelchair. • Limb-girdle: affects boys and girls equally. This form progresses slowly and affects the shoulders, upper arm, hips and thighs. • Facioscapulohumeral: affects boys and girls. It begins in their early teens or early adulthood. This form affects the face, shoulders, and legs.... ... middle of paper ... ...rieved 9 April 2007. 3. Emery AE (2002). "The muscular dystrophies". Lancet 359 (9307): 687–695. 4. k on Implementation of the MD CARE Act, as submitted by Department of Health and Human Service's Motlagh B, MacDonald JR, Tarnoplosky MA. Nutritional inadequacy in adults with muscular dystrophy. Muscle Nerve. 2005;31(6):713-8. 5. R.M. Lehman & G.L. McCormack, 2001. Neurogenic and Myopathic Dysfunction pp. 802-803. In L. Pedretti and M Early Occupational Therapy Skills for Physical Dysfunction 5th ED St Louis MO: Mosby 6. Sarnat HB Muscular dystrophies. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF,eds.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap601 7. Bushby RF, Birnkrant DJ, Case LE, Clemens PR, Cripe L, Kaul a, et.al Diagnosis and management of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Lancet Neurol. 2010;9:77-93.(PubMed:19945913)

More about Muscular Dystrophy (MD)

Open Document