Muscular Dystrophy Guillaume Benjamin Amand Term Paper

Physical activity is key in slowing the progressive nature of the disease since inactivity will encourage quicker deterioration of the muscle tissue. Beyond the individual maintaining an effort of physical activity, various treatments, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, and the use of wheelchairs, canes, walkers, or braces may be needed. Orthopedic surgery to correct damage done to the bones due to the deterioration of the muscle tissue can be performed, though it is usually a temporary improvement. Also, there are drug therapies that include the use of corticosteroids that help control the deterioration of the muscles as well. Of course, there are also drugs to treat the symptoms of later stages of the disease such as seizures and muscle spasms as well as to treat any respiratory infections that often occur due to the collection of fluid in the lungs. Pacemakers and ventilators are sometimes necessary to help with weakened lung and heart muscles as well (Emery 49).

One promising advance in the cure for Muscular Dystrophy is the research done in the area of gene therapy.A small group of individuals suffering from Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy were injected with a functional gene to test for the efficacy and long-term effects of the procedure. Though the results, so far, of this test have been promising, the use of this therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a challenging idea because of both the physical size of the gene itself (it is, molecularly, quite large) and the large area of affected muscle tissue to which the gene must be applied (Bushyby 411). Even in the face of these challenges, however, gene therapy has become a main focus for researchers in battling this disease.

Works Cited

Enerson, Ole Daniel. "Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne de Boulogne." Who Named It. http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/950.html.1 Aug. 2006.

NINDS Muscular Dystrophy Information Page." National Institute of Neurological

Disorders and Stroke. 25 May 2006. 1 Aug. 2006. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/md/md.htm.

Emery, Allan. Muscular Dystrophy: The Facts. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000.

Bushby, Katharine. Muscular Dystrophy: Methods and Protocol. Totowa, NJ: Humana P,.....