Progressive Muscular Dystrophy, July 22, 1998

Progressive Muscular Dystrophy, July 22, 1998

The cause of this disease remains unclear, but it is generally classified into three types: ① Pseudo-hypertrophic type: Common in children under 10, characterized by weakness in the hip, shoulder, and calf muscles, though pseudo-hypertrophy may also occur, most notably in the gastrocnemius muscle; ② Shoulder-girdle type: More common in adolescents and young adults, primarily involving atrophy and flaccidity of the deltoid and gluteus maximus muscles, leading to mobility impairment and even bedridden status; ③ Face-and-limb type: Seen in middle-aged and young adults, characterized by atrophy and flaccidity of the facial muscles, combined with features of the shoulder-girdle type. Typically, CPK (creatine phosphokinase) and PK (pyruvate kinase) are used as specific laboratory indicators for diagnosing this disease. Western medicine currently lacks a specific cure for this condition; some suggest adding insulin and glucose to enhance muscle nutrition, but no significant effect has been observed; others try galantamine, yet again without notable results. Traditional Chinese medicine considers this disease a type of “withering syndrome” and recommends Zhang Xichun’s Zhen Wei Tang: Astragalus, cornelian cherry, longan flesh, processed frankincense, myrrh, walnut meat, earth beetle, deer antler glue, strychnine, and angelica root.

Mnemonic: “Add milk and myrrh to the blood-tonifying soup, along with cornelian cherry, longan, deer antler glue, and earth beetle.”