What Are the Most Common Myotonic Dystrophy Symptoms?
Myotonic dystrophy, also known as dystrophia myotonica (DM) or Steinert’s disease, is a form of muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophies, or myotonias, are a group of conditions that cause progressive weakening of the muscles. The symptoms of myotonic dystrophy can vary widely due to the involvement of many systems in the body. One of the most distinguishing symptoms is muscle stiffness; muscle relaxation, which normally occurs after muscle contraction, is markedly delayed in this condition, resulting in general stiffness. This can be demonstrated by a patient trying to relax his or her hand after gripping an object for a sustained period of time. In myotonic dystrophy, the patient would be unable to immediately relax the grip without assistance.
