Muscular dystrophy: what NINDS says physical, occupational, and speech therapy can do
NINDS says muscular dystrophy (MD) treatment “may involve a combination of approaches, including physical therapy, drug therapy, and surgery,” and describes physical therapy for movement and flexibility, occupational therapy for everyday tasks, and speech therapy for communication. This page quotes NINDS only.
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current information on those sites. This page is not medical, legal, or billing advice and does not describe any patient’s care.
Source read on November 12, 2026: NINDS’s Muscular Dystrophy page (last reviewed on November 09, 2026).
What MD is
NINDS states: “Muscular dystrophy (MD) refers to a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakness and degeneration of skeletal muscles.” And: “All forms of MD grow worse over time as muscles progressively degenerate and weaken. Many people with MD eventually lose the ability to walk.” It adds: “Some people with MD may develop a swallowing disorder.”
Treatment
NINDS states: “Available treatments are aimed at keeping people independent for as long as possible and preventing complications that can arise from muscle weakness, reduced mobility, and heart and breathing difficulties.”
- “Physical therapy can help improve movement and keep a person’s muscles as flexible and strong as possible.” NINDS adds that passive stretching can support joint flexibility and prevent contractures (paraphrased; NINDS’s sentence has a typo).
- “Occupational therapy can help people with MD perform everyday tasks at home and at work.”
- “Speech therapy can help people with weakened facial and throat muscles communicate.”
- “Regular, moderate exercise and/or physical activity can help people with MD maintain muscle function and mobility.”
- “Deep breathing and coughing exercises can help people with MD who are having breathing problems.”
On equipment, NINDS says support aids such as wheelchairs, splints, braces, spinal supports, and posture correction devices “can counter muscle weakness and help people with MD maintain mobility.” On swallowing: “People with MD who have trouble swallowing may need to use special techniques for feeding.” The SLP’s role in swallowing is on swallowing disorders.
What this page does not do
It does not repeat NINDS’s descriptions of each MD type, its medicine list, or its surgery list. It is not medical advice and does not recommend any treatment, medicine, or product. Scope of practice for each profession is set by state law; check your state board.