MDF Magazine Issue 62 7 August 2020 (7)

Healthy
Holistic Treatment for Symptoms
of Muscular Dystrophy
By Natural Health Practitioners of Canada
10 July 2019
Muscular Dystrophy is a neuromuscular disorder that can
affect anyone at any stage of life. There are nine types of
muscular dystrophy that affect different sets of muscles and
cause different degrees of muscle weakness.
The most common and severe type is Duchenne muscular
dystrophy, which affects about 1 out of every 3,500
genetically male children. Genetically female children can
carry the gene that causes muscular dystrophy, but they
rarely show symptoms of the disease. Early onset of
muscular dystrophy occurs between the ages of three and
five.
How Aquatic Therapy Can Help Muscular Dystrophy
Some people with muscular dystrophy may not be able to
access holistic treatments in a traditional setting due to
severe pain or mobility issues. Aquatic therapy is an effective
alternative to the conventional delivery of holistic practices.
Symptoms of muscular dystrophy include progressive
wasting of muscles, weakness, fatigue, pain, and loss of
function. Common signs of muscular dystrophy include poor
balance, frequent falling, difficulty walking, limited range of
movement, and drooping eyelids.
Progression of the disease varies from person to
person, but as muscles weaken over time it creates physical
limitations for the person affected. Some people with
muscular dystrophy may lose the ability to perform everyday
tasks, feed themselves, walk, climb stairs, or ‒ in extreme
cases ‒ breathe on their own.
While there is no cure for the disease, holistic heath [sic]
practices like aquatic therapy, qigong, and massage therapy
can help improve the quality of life for people with muscular
dystrophy.
Aquatic therapy allows holistic practitioners to practise in
a water environment. It works by releasing the burden of
gravity and reducing the effort required for some
application techniques, allowing the practitioner to deliver a
more focused treatment.
Aquatic therapy also reduces the motion and stress barriers
some clients may have, making it a great alternative to
traditional treatment for people with mobility issues and
pain. The buoyancy of the water and the decreased effect of
gravity allow clients to perform exercises and stretches that
would not be possible on land.
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