Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy can be defined as a group of muscular diseases that weaken the muscles which move the human body. Muscular dystrophies are characterised by progressive muscle weakness, the death of muscle cells and tissue…

Main symptoms include:

1. Progressive muscular wasting
2. Difficulty in walking
3. Change in walking pattern
4. Limited range of movement
5. Difficulty in breathing
6. Scoliosis
7. Poor balance
8. Difficulty in climbing and getting up

There are different types of muscular dystrophies named in different manners but the basic cause behind the condition is the breaking of muscle fibres due to different factors

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY AND AYURVEDA

In ayurveda its mentioned in classics as MAMSASHOSHA (reduction in muscle bulk), according to ayurveda this condition occurs due to doshic imbalance and changes in saptha dhathus which are the basic elements maintaining the body structure

In ayurveda there is the concept of agni (digestive fire) which maintains the cellurar metabolism which inturn nourishes the dhathus which are rasa, raktha, mamsa, medha, asthi, majja and shukla which builds the body and each dhathu is having its digestive fire, any imbalance or vitiation in this fire will be leading to improper absorbtion of nutrients leading to the condition of weakness.

In this case there is an increase in mamsa dhathu agni, which will be leading to muscle destruction and in turn reduction in muscle bulk and increase in medas (fat) which is the next dhathu after mamsa

If we closely look into the pathogenisis of this disease it’s the increase in fat tissue and decrease in the muscle bulk will be there in most of the condition leading to a reduction in muscle power

AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT

The main line of management is to correct the dhathu agni and increase the muscle bulk, this is done with special internal medications and external treatment modalities which increases the vascularity and hence increasing the nourishment, it’s a long term process with a strict regime arresting the muscle destruction and rejuvenating the myofibers.