Neurol. praxi. 2016;17(4):240-243 | DOI: 10.36290/neu.2016.050

The onset of pain in myotonic dystrophy

MUDr. Olesja Parmová, MUDr. Stanislav Voháňka, CSc., MBA

Neurologická klinika LF MU a FN, Brno

Myotonic dystrophy is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. It is a multisystem disease characterized by slowly

progressive weakness of skeletal muscles, myotonia, and multisystem involvement. Pain is a common and major symptom of the

disease and its frequency is approximately 75 %. The pain is not same for all patients, it has a variable intensity, temporal pattern,

localization, and character. In the majority of cases the pain has moderate intensity, long-term course, and fluctuates over time.

The intensity or even presence of pain is usually not associated with the patient's age and severity of the disease. The most often

reported localization of the pain is lower back, thighs, calf, arms, shoulders, and neck. Patients complain about various types

of pain - pulling, stabbing, exhausting, and sore or just discomfort in muscles, such as tension, tightness, tenderness, burning,

tingling, or cramping. The most frequently used treatment is medication.

Keywords: myotonic dystrophy, pain, muscular pain, neuropathic pain

Published: August 1, 2016  Show citation