Health Topic

Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is characterized by progressive weakness and muscle damage. Read about who it affects and the prognosis.

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Also called: MD

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of more than 30 genetic diseases. They cause weakness of the muscles. Over time, the weakness gets worse and can cause trouble walking and doing daily activities. Some types of MD can also affect other organs.

There are many different types of MD. Some of the more common types include:

  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is the most common childhood form. It is severe and affects boys more often than girls. The symptoms usually start between ages 3 and 6.
  • Becker muscular dystrophy, which is similar to Duchenne but is less severe and gets worse more slowly. It often starts in the teenage years.
  • Congenital muscular dystrophies, which are present at birth or before age 2. They can be mild or severe.
  • Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, which often starts in the teenage years. At first, it affects the muscles of the face, shoulders, and upper arms.

Each of the types of MD can be different in many ways, such as:

  • Who is more likely to get them
  • Which muscles they affect
  • When they appear, such as in infancy, childhood, middle age, or later
  • What the symptoms are
  • How serious the symptoms are
  • How quickly they get worse
  • Whether they run in families
  • Whether they affect other organs

Even within the same type of MD, people can have different symptoms.

MD is genetic, meaning that it caused by a change in one or more genes. Gene changes are also called gene variants or mutations. The gene changes in MD affect proteins that strengthen and protect muscles.

There are different gene changes that cause each type of MD. And sometimes people who have the same type of MD can have different gene changes.

Muscular dystrophy can run in families, or you can be the first in your family to have a muscular dystrophy.

To find out if you or your child has MD, your health care provider may use:

  • A medical and family history
  • A physical exam
  • Blood and urine tests, including genetic tests and tests for certain enzymes that may be released by damaged muscles
  • Muscle biopsies
  • Electromyography and nerve conduction studies to find out if muscles are responding the right way to nerve signals
  • Heart testing, such as an electrocardiogram (EKG), since some types of MD can cause heart problems
  • Exercise tests to measure muscle strength and breathing and detect any increased rates of certain chemicals following exercise
  • Imaging tests such as an MRI to look at muscle quality and bulk and measure fatty replacement of muscle tissue

There is no cure for muscular dystrophy. Treatment can help with the symptoms and prevent complications. It usually includes a combination of therapies, such as:

  • Physical therapy to help keep muscles flexible and strong
  • Occupational therapy to relearn lost motor skills and learn ways to work around weakened muscles
  • Respiratory care, such as breathing exercises, oxygen therapy, and ventilators
  • Speech therapy to help with speech and swallowing problems
  • Assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, splints and braces, and walkers
  • Medicines to help delay damage to muscles or minimize the symptoms of MD
  • Surgery to treat some of the conditions associated with MD, such as heart problems, scoliosis, and cataracts

It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles and Genetics/Birth Defects.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Muscular Dystrophy

896 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Living With

Genetics

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Muscular Dystrophies. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Muscular Dystrophy, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.