The medical term for this is lordosis . Later development indicates a tendency to stand and walk on the forward part of the foot with the heels off the ground. Testing of individual muscles or muscle groups reveals a typical DMD pattern of weakness. In recent years, encouraging advances in research suggest that it may be possible in the near future to treat the disease. However, there is still no treatment at this time that has proven to be effective in stopping the degeneration of muscle in Duchenne dystrophy.
Medical therapy is aimed at slowing some complications and treating symptoms of the disease.
The braces, fitted with hinges at the knees, can be worn even while the child is sitting. They are comfortable and relatively light in weight. For this reason, the child will often undergo another operation in his early teens in which a steel rod is placed along the spine to prevent progressive curvature. Various types of environmental adaptations may be necessary to help the child remain independent in daily activities, including raised toilet seats, special shower chairs, special desk tops, ramps instead of steps, handrails, and others. Although Duchenne dystrophy is a serious disease, in most cases, there is little or no pain associated with it.