What Is Muscular Dystrophy?

1. The meaning of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe form of muscular dystrophy caused by a genetic defect that can be characterized by a disturbed growth of cardiac and skeletal muscles. It usually affects boys. In 1861, a French neurologist, Guillaume B. Duchenne, was the first person to give a detailed description of this syndrome.

Muscular dystrophy is a degenerating disease, in which the skeletal muscles degenerate, lose their strength, and cause increasing disability and deformity. Muscles attached to the bones through tendons are responsible for movement in the human body, however, in muscular dystrophy the muscles become progressively weak. As the muscle fibers

Credibility Statement: According to the "Muscular Dystrophies" by Harvey B.Sarnat in Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 20th Ed 2016, "A muscular dystrophy is distinguished from all other neuromuscular diseases by 4 obligatory criteria: It is a primary myopathy, it has a genetic basis,

First Main Point: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is an awful disease that absolutely needs new treatment options.

We have many drugs, therapy techniques, and procedures to help slow the progression or help with the pain associated with DMD. There are many varying degrees of severity with DMD and because of this treatment plans vary greatly with the patient's specific needs. Many are given medical interventions to help with mobility. Many use wheelchairs or braces to help them maintain freedom and independance. Drugs like Prednisone, Deflazacort,Cyclosporine and Oxandrolone are used to prolong the ability to walk without aids as much as 5 years. Prednisone is a Corticosteroid that is the most common steriod used to help symptoms of DMD. There is controversy when using this steriod because of the numerous side effects like weight gain, fragile bones, high blood pressure, and behavioral changes. Deflazacort is a synthetic form of Prednisone that has been found to have less side effects. This drug is used in Europe. Cyclosporine is a medication that is very controversial because it's possible it causes myopathy. Oxandrolone is still being researched but it is believed to have similar results as Prednisone with fewer side effects.(National Human Genome Research Institute, 2013) People with DMD may need other medications for secondary issues like asthma, or heart complications. Surgeries are also an option to help correct spinal curvature or fix issues with the heart. Therapies are the most common among all varying degrees of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Range of Motion exercises will help keep flexibility in the affected joints. These exercises will also help to prevent muscle shortening. Low impact exercises like swimming are highly to maintain mobility., flexibility in joints, and strength.(Mayo Clinic,

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is defined as a chronic form of dystrophy that is caused by a mutated gene. This essay critically discusses Duchenne muscular dystrophy as a whole, including all the symptoms, causes as well as treatment.

According to the MediLexicon Medical Dictionary, muscular dystrophy is defined as a general term for a number of hereditary, progressive degenerative disorders affecting skeletal muscles, and often other organ systems (Staff). Basically what that means is that muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that is passed down that affects the skeletal muscles and other organs by slowly breaking them down. Since it is genetic, it is not contagious and you cannot catch it from someone who has it. 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

Medications- prednisone (delatsone) and other corticosteroids can help with muscular dystrophy, but can lead to additional problems such as weight gain and bone weakening. Heart medications, like angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) are recommended if MD is damaging the heart.

Only take ibuprofen or Tylenol if you are experiencing muscle soreness or muscles cramps. You also need to hydrate on plenty of water so you don't get severe muscle soreness or muscle cramps. One thing that people with DMD are required to do is physical therapy. Do DMD people have to do anything special? Yes. If they are in a sport, they need assistance quite often because of their disorder. Their diet is the same as for anyone else. People with DMD will either be in wheelchairs, braces, or standing

Usually once atrophy of the hip musculature is noticed, shoulder weakness in noticed also. Those inflicted with DMD will also have trouble with overhead activates, and keeping the shoulders flexed for long periods of time. Scott M. Giles actually lists the following muscles affected by DMD: “Shoulder girdle musculature, pectorals, deltoids, rectus abdominals, gluteals, hamstrings, and calf muscles” 6. DMD patients continue to lose control and strength in their lower extremity musculature and eventually have so much trouble walking they are confined to a wheelchair. There is not a set age where this occurs, but the average is around twelve years old. The DMD muscles involved in eating, drinking, and of the eye are not touched by the disease. They usually do not have any hearing deficits or stroke disorders 1.

muscular dystrophy has many forms and therefore symptoms can vary between the variations. Overall symptoms include the weakening of skeletal muscles and the defect and death muscle tissues. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common and affects young boys such as Eddie.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a sex-linked disease, which is inherited in a recessive fashion (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2013). Over thirty similar genetic disorders exist (Duchenne Foundation Australia, 2015). All types of muscular dystrophy are considered to be a rare disorder (Duchenne Foundation Australia, 2015). Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is most common in children and causes muscle weakness and wasting, which commonly begins in the lower limbs (Duchenne Foundation Australia, 2015; National Human Genome Research Institute, 2013). The disease itself is caused by changes to the DMD gene, which is responsible for providing instructions regarding the creation of the dystrophin protein in one’s muscles (Duchenne Foundation Australia, 2015). This protein is responsible for protecting muscles from damage, and without it the cells of a person’s muscles deteriorate and symptoms of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are exhibited (Duchenne Foundation Australia, 2015). The disease results from changes in the DMD gene, or other genetic changes in a child (Duchenne Foundation Australia, 2015).

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder caused by incorrect or missing genetic information that leads to the gradual weakening of the muscle cells. Various causes lead to weak and deteriorating muscles depending on the type of muscular dystrophy the patient was affected by. However, there are many causes for muscular dystrophy due to the fact that there are thirty forms of muscular dystrophy, which are categorized under several categories. All are ultimately caused by autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, sex-linked, and random mutations in very rare cases.

Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary condition marked by progressive weakening and wasting of the muscles. The main sign of muscular dystrophy is progressive muscle weakness. Specific symptoms start at different ages and in different muscle groups, depending on the type of muscular dystrophy. This disease can appear in infancy up to middle age or older. There are 9 major types of muscular dystrophy. Myotonic, Duchenne, Becker, limb-girdle, facioscapulohumeral, congenital, oculopharyngeal, distal, and emery-dreifuss. The diagnostic of muscular dystrophy can be found through a physical exam, family medical history, and tests. Furthermore, those include muscle biopsies, DNA testing, nerve conduction tests, and blood enzyme tests. Muscular dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy is one of the most common muscle disorders in the world that affects one’s muscles and makes their whole body weak. Myotonic dystrophy is a dominant inherited trait. Having one copy of the gene in each cell will cause the disorder and it is located on the long arm of chromosome nineteen. There are two types; type 2 of myotonic dystrophy is less harmful than type 1 and it affects one in eight thousand people in the world, usually between the ages of twenty and thirty. Symptoms include weakness in the face, neck, hands, and legs. Sometimes people will get cataracts and an irregular heartbeat, and if men have myotonic dystrophy, they might not be fertile to produce a child. If a baby is born with myotonic dystrophy, they will