Muscular Dystrophy

Expert diagnostic services and treatment are provided for patients with common and rare disorders of the muscular system, including muscular dystrophies. Myopathic (myo = muscle, pathy = disease) conditions can include polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis, and various myopathies due to metabolic, congenital, and endocrine causes. Patients are offered and informed about the latest advances in the treatment of these conditions.

Our comprehensive services include diagnosis, treatment, education, and rehabilitative care. Patients are also provided with instructions and guidance to help effectively manage their conditions on a day to day basis. This may include information related to exercise programs, proper nutrition, pain management, orthotics and medical equipment, if indicated.

Read more about polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis and metabolic myopathies.

Muscular dystrophies are a wide range of muscle disorders related to the congenital or genetically determined absence of certain essential muscle fiber components (e.g., dystrophin). In most patients, the major symptoms are of muscle weakness starting in childhood and early adolescence. Certain muscular dystrophies are also known to affect organs other than skeletal muscle, including the heart. The rate of progression of the muscular dystrophies depends on the type of dystrophy. While some progress slowly, others confine the patient to a wheelchair within a few years. Significant advances in the genetics of these conditions and further understanding of the pathogenesis will undoubtedly result in the effective treatment for these devastating muscle conditions.