What is muscle disease?
The terms ’muscle disease’, ‘muscular dystrophy’, ‘neuromuscular conditions’ and ‘neuromuscular disorders’ all describe a large group of conditions which affect either the muscles, such as those in the arms and legs or heart and lungs, or the nerves which control the muscles. Different conditions affect different muscles. Most conditions are progressive, causing the muscles to gradually weaken over time. People’s mobility is affected and most conditions lead to some sort of disability. The severity of conditions and how they affect individuals varies greatly from person to person. Muscle disease affects babies, children and adults, both males and females and all ethnic groups. Conditions are often inherited but can also occur out of the blue where there is no family history. For more information on specific conditions, please see our About muscular dystrophy section. To talk to an advisor, please call 0800 652 6352 (freephone) or email info@muscular-dystrophy.org Latest in Research • N
