Myopathy
Years
0
Countries
0
Hospitals
0
Doctors
0
Your Personalized Treatment Plan
Do not limit your treatment options only to the nearest hospital.
We offer the most effective, quick and affordable treatment for myopathy,
thanks to the world’s largest hospital network.
Myopathy is a general term that refers to diseases that affect the muscles that connect to your bones (skeletal muscles). Myopathies may be passed on in families (inherited) or they may develop later in life (acquired). People living with myopathy may have difficulty performing activities of daily living like bathing, combing their hair or standing up from a chair.
Complete Recovery
No Hidden Fees
No Waiting Lists
Leading Surgeons
Private treatment in our hospital network allows you skip waiting lists while at the same time reducing the costs treatment considerably, up to 50% cheaper, in countries that are just a short flight from home. The countries listed below make excellent choices with modern hospitals and well-trained English speaking surgeons.
Our medical consultants will advise you on the best choice for your myopathy in one of our leading hospitals. We will evaluate your current condition, expectations and other related factors, and offer you the most suitable option, respecting your health and the individual needs of your body and lifestyle. Your health is unique and so should be your solution.
- Berlin
- Zurich
- Vienna
- Paris
- Madrid
- Milan
- Warsaw
- Istanbul
Treatment of Myopathy
After determining your specific type of myopathy, your doctor will develop a treatment plan specific to your symptoms.
Most treatments include physical therapy, occupational therapy and some form of exercise. Other treatments are more specific and based on the type of myopathy.
In general, most acquired myopathies can be well controlled and treated to minimize weakness and symptoms. Some inherited myopathies have specific treatments that can stop the progression of the disease. At the present time, most inherited myopathies don’t have specific treatments, but people can benefit from physical therapy and certain types of exercise.
Inflammatory and autoimmune-related myopathies
The goal of treatment is to decrease inflammation and your body’s autoimmune response. These myopathies are often treated with:
- Immunomodulatory/immunosuppressant drugs such as methotrexate, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, azathioprine, mycophenolate, rituximab and intravenous (IVIg) or subcutaneous (SubQIg) immunoglobulin.
- Corticosteroids such as prednisone or methylprednisolone.
Inherited and genetic myopathies
Most inherited and genetic myopathies don’t have a specific treatment or cure. Management is largely based on symptom control and different forms of therapy. There are multiple ongoing clinical trials in various areas of research looking at treatments and gene therapy.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Pompe disease are disorders that can be treated with specific medication.
Other acquired myopathies
Healthcare providers manage acquired myopathies including endocrine, toxic and infectious myopathies by treating the underlying disease causing the myopathy. Toxin-related myopathies are treated by stopping the offending agent (alcohol or toluene, for example) or medication (statins, for example). Muscle symptoms that result from infections caused by bacteria, viruses or other infectious organisms are improved by treating the infection directly with antibiotics.
Complications of Myopathy
Complications
Types
Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Complications
An acoustic neuroma is usually benign, but it can still be fatal if left untreated. This is because the tumour will keep growing. Once it runs out of space inside the small canal that links the inner ear to the brain, it begins to grow into the skull cavity.
The tissue at the base of the brain, including a structure called the brain stem, may become squashed by the growing tumour. This can cause a build-up of fluid know as cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The brain stem is responsible for regulating important bodily functions, including consciousness, heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and swallowing.
Types
Inherited myopathies are myopathies that you’re born with when you inherit a genetic mutation from one of your parents. Inherited myopathies include:
Congenital myopathies. People with congenital myopathies often start to show symptoms when they’re a baby or child. These myopathies often involve developmental delays in learning motor skills, such as crawling or walking. It’s common for congenital myopathies to affect all of the skeletal muscles, and it often does not progress.
Mitochondrial myopathies. Mitochondrial myopathies are caused by mutations in the mitochondria, which are the “powerhouses” or energy-producing parts of the body’s cells. In addition to muscle weakness, they may also cause problems with the heart, brain, or gastrointestinal tract. Examples of mitochondrial myopathies include:
- Kearns–Sayre syndrome
- Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome
- Myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers (MERRF) Syndrome
Muscular dystrophies. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive weakness in skeletal muscles. These types of diseases are caused by the degeneration of muscular tissue due to structural support protein abnormalities.
Metabolic myopathies. Metabolic myopathies are characterized by episodic muscle weakness that’s sometimes random but is often caused by exercise or muscle exertion. These myopathies are caused by defects in the genes that code for certain enzymes.
Acquired myopathies are myopathies that are acquired later in life. Examples of acquired myopathies include:
- Autoimmune/inflammatory myopathy. This type of myopathy causes issues with muscular function due to an autoimmune condition.
- Toxic myopathy. Toxic myopathy is myopathy caused by toxins — for example, alcohol — and certain medications.
- Endocrine myopathies. An endocrine myopathy is a myopathy caused by issues with the endocrine system, which controls hormone production. Endocrine myopathies can be caused by thyroid or adrenal diseases.
- Infectious myopathies. Infectious myopathies are myopathies caused by a viral, bacterial, parasitic, or fungal infection.
- Critical illness myopathy. Critical illness myopathy may develop while a person is in the intensive care unit. It’s thought to be caused by long periods of immobility. This type of myopathy affects the muscles you use to breathe.
Causes
Patients who have a blood relative with a genetic myopathy have an increased risk for developing the condition. Depending on how the myopathy is inherited, men can be at greater risk than women of developing the condition. Myopathies carried on the X chromosome affect more men than women, while those carried on chromosomes other than the sex chromosome affect both men and women equally.
Patients may be at increased risk of developing acquired myopathy if they have an autoimmune disorder, metabolic or endocrine disorder, are on certain drugs or are exposed to certain toxins.
Symptoms
There are several different types of genetic myopathies, most of which have similar symptoms. These include:
- Muscle weakness
- Motor delay
- Respiratory impairment
- Bulbar muscle dysfunction (malfunction of the muscles responsible for swallowing and speech)
Bulbar muscle dysfunctions can be especially apparent in congenital myopathies (those present from birth), and can result in severe impairments to swallowing and speech abilities. Congenital myopathies also are characterized by developmental motor delays and, at times, facial or skeletal abnormalities.
Acquired myopathies may have symptoms similar to those of genetic myopathies and also may include:
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle soreness (myalgias)
- Cramps
- Stiffness
- Muscle wasting around the shoulders and hips
Diagnosis
The patient’s physician may use a variety of tests to determine the specific myopathy. These can include:
- A physical exam
- Muscle strength tests
- Electromyography (EMG)
- Ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Genetic tests
- A muscle biopsy
The goal in determining the specific myopathy of each patient is to enable the development of a personalized treatment plan.
