Treatments available for neuromuscular disorders

Neuromuscular disorders have affected millions in the country. This disease causes the muscles and nerves to degenerate. These muscles and nerves are responsible for controlling the movement and sensations in the body. The neuromuscular disorders have symptoms that vary widely. Some neuromuscular diseases can be a genetic disorder.

There are several symptoms of neuromuscular disorders that can be used to identify the condition. Some symptoms include pain, weakness, muscle cramps, numbness, difficulty in breathing, muscle atrophy, droopy eyelids, balancing issues, paralysis, joint deformities, limb pain, movement problems, loss of muscular control and lightheadedness.

Some common neuromuscular diseases include Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autonomic dysfunction, muscular dystrophies (MD), myasthenia gravis (MG), and peripheral neuropathies (PN).

Treatments for neuromuscular disorders have been under study for many years; the treatment of neuromuscular disorders is dependent on the patient’s specific diagnosis and needs. Improving the symptoms and lengthening the mobility is the goal of the treatment for this condition.

Some treatments for neuromuscular disorders are mentioned below:

  • Nerve blocks
  • Botox for headaches and neck pains
  • Joint Injections
  • Nerve stimulation for pain and other conditions
  • Cortisone injections
  • Therapy

Not all neuromuscular disorders can be cured. However, treatments and therapies can be undertaken by the patients to control and relieve the symptoms as that helps in improving the quality of life. Apart from the treatments mentioned above, there are other treatments options available for patients with neuromuscular disorders. These treatment options include medical therapies, surgical treatments, investigational treatments and rehabilitation.

The medical therapies include medications that help in reducing the effects of the symptoms and decelerate the progression of the disease. Some medications help in relieving muscle cramps, excess saliva, and stiffness. There are medications that filter abnormal antibodies from the blood to treat Guillain-Barre syndrome and myasthenia gravis.

There are essentially two types of surgical treatments for neuromuscular disorders that are minimally invasive surgery for myasthenia gravis and neuropathy. The former is a robotic surgery that surgeons use to remove the thymus while the latter includes a procedure that helps in alleviating the pressure on nerves which thereby helps in relieving the symptoms of the disease.

Investigational treatments include extensive research that helps in finding new treatments for the disorder. Investigational treatments also include clinical trials for finding prospective new treatments.

Treatments and therapies for neuromuscular disorders may have different results for different patients. Several factors lead to different results from the treatments.

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