Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms
Eased by Massage Therapy
Muscular dystrophy symptoms can be eased with the addition of massage therapy to a treatment plan. Massage can help relieve the muscle spasms experienced by people with this condition.
This disorder is really a combination of genetic muscle diseases that weaken the muscles used to move the body around. There are over 100 diseases that are similar to MD, but only 9 are always classified as such. MD is characterized by defects in the proteins the muscles need to survive and the dying off of muscle cells.
There is no cure for muscular dystrophy (MD). Medication is used to slow down muscle wasting and keep the person mobile for as long as possible.
Most Common Forms of MD
Duchenne MD is the most common childhood form of the disease. Symptoms begin to occur when the child starts to walk. The life expectency of someone with this form of the disease is the late teen to early 30s.
Becker's MD is a less severe form of Duchenne MD. People with this form survive into old age.
Congenital MD occurs at birth. It's characterized by muscle weakness and joint deformities. People with this disease have a shortened life span.
Distal MD is characterized by the weakening and wasting away of muscles in the hands, feet, lower legs, and forearms. People with this form can expect to live to an old age. It doesn't usually present itself until the person is in their 20s.
Facioscapulohumeral MD usually starts to appear when the person is a teenager. It affects the muscles of the face, shoulders and upper arms.
Oculopharyngeal MD occurs when a person is 40 to 70 years old and affects the eyelids, face, throat, shoulder, and pelvic.
Emery-Dreifuss MD usually occurs in the teens. Sufferers experience the weakening of the shin and upper arm muscles. They usually die suddenly from cardiac arrest.
Myotonic MD is the most common form of adult onset MD. It usually occurs between the age 20 and 40 and is characterized by muscle weakness. It also affects the other systems of the body.
Limb-girdle MD affects the upper arms and legs.
Symptoms
Muscular dystrophy symptoms include the following:
- difficulty walking
- balance problems
- problems breathing
- muscle weakness
- involuntary muscle contractions
- intellectual impairment
Massage Therapy
Massage can be used to ease muscular dystrophy symptoms. Massage helps relax contracted muscles. It increases circulation to weakened muscles allowing the tissue to recieve more nutrients.
Massage modalities like pfrimmer massage, Swedish massage or most therapeutic types of massage can be used to ease MD symptoms. Be sure that any massage or other alternative medicine treatments you pursue are done with your doctor's knowledge.
Here is a video demonstrating massage for facial MD.
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