Genetic Muscular Dystrophy- can homoeopathy help?
A 5-year-old boy stepped in at the Life Force Homeopathy clinic with his worried parents, who reported their child’s progressive difficulty in walking and maintaining balance. The boy learned to walk at the age of 12 months, an achievement celebrated by the family, but he also displayed a peculiar tendency to fall after a few steps, when his support had withdrawn. From an early age, toddlers do fall while walking so parents don’t pay much attention. In 2022, when the child was around 3 years old he began falling repeatedly while attempting to walk unsupported. The parents started noticing the child’s difficulty in walking without support; he required constant assistance to avoid falls. The parents took the advice from the family physician after noticing the worsening of symptoms. The physician suspected a genetic disorder "Muscular Dystrophy", due to the progressive nature of the symptoms and specific pattern of muscle weakness. The test confirmed that the child is having Duchene Muscular Dystrophy and the family doctor explained disheartening news to parents that the condition cannot be cured but advised physiotherapy as a means to manage the symptoms.
Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and degeneration; it is more prevalent in children. It is caused by the alterations of a dystrophin protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. There is no cure for DMD, nor can muscle damage or loss be reversed. Treatments focus on slowing its progression, managing and alleviating symptoms and complications, and improving a person's quality of life.
When they saw us in November 2022 (Patient ID:49848), his parents explained that he can walk only 2-3 steps with support and struggles to stand or walk independently without falling. The child needed assistance to rise from a sitting or lying position. He adopted a squatting position and used his hands and arms to push against the floor or a surface to help him rise as part of the effort to get up.
Dr.Shah and the team also took details about the birth history which did not reveal any complications during pregnancy or delivery. Apart from motor challenges, the child has no history of cognitive issues, speech, or other developmental delays. Upon further inquiry, the parents shared that their son's early milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, and teething were achieved within normal timeframes. There was no family history of a similar condition.
The child on the other hand was very active and playful; he could not sit in one place and constantly roams around here and there but was not competent due to his muscular weakness. Also, his father mentioned that he easily grasps and mimics things once they are shown to him. Slowly his daily routine involved short, assisted walks, playtime with sitting activities, and therapy sessions. The parents shared their heartbreak, seeing their energetic child unable to enjoy the simple joys of playing and running freely.
Dr.Shah studied his case and prescribed MEDORRHINUM-30
The proper counseling was done to parents to focus on realistic goals to improve the child's quality of life. The proper advice was given on diet as well, to include a high protein diet to support muscle health and overall growth.
Follow-ups:
By January 2023 within 2 months along with individualized homeopathic treatment, physiotherapy, and dietary advice, the patient’s parents started seeing improvement in him, there were no falls, but that child had required support.
In the follow-up of April 2023- the child was able to stand by the support and with confidence he has attempted to run as well.
After 4 months that is in the month of August 2023- there was a significant improvement and satisfaction with an observation that the child could walk faster with little support without falls, and was attempting to run.
By March 2024- there was a 50 % improvement as the child had run for a few steps and was trying to achieve more. Then the outstanding results were seen in August 2024, where there was a 70 % improvement- and the child was able to run, jump, and climb on his own, his dependency on support had been reduced, and also there were no falls while walking continuously.
He has been advised to continue and complete the homeopathic treatment for better results. It was explained to parents Homoeopathy can be continued over extended periods without harmful effects, and it is safe to give without interfering child’s growth.
Conclusion:
This case underscores the efficacy of Homoeopathy in treating genetic conditions. While homoeopathy is not curative but helps to slow the progression of muscle degeneration and give symptomatic relief. The proper remedy selection helped to alleviate specific symptoms like muscle weakness, to improve muscle function, flexibility, and fatigue. However, it must be noted that Homeopathy has a complementary role alongside physiotherapy and other supportive measures.