Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic

There is no cure for most neuromuscular disorders, including muscular dystrophy. However, symptoms can be managed by a comprehensive clinical team of multidisciplinary specialists dedicated to the care of neuromuscular patients.

Our board-certified team includes specialists in neurology (both pediatric and adult), pulmonology, cardiology, genetics, and physical medicine and rehab. The MetroHealth MDA Care Center also has access to nutritionists, pain management experts, orthopedists, comprehensive care management teams, intensivists, social workers and clinical psychologists.

MDA Care Center

Children

• All medical-specialty appointments can be coordinated in one place on the same day, minimizing the need for parents or caregivers to miss work.
• Call 216-778-2222 and ask for the Pediatric Neuromuscular Care Center.

Adults

• Provides customized care while the team works closely with other specialists within The MetroHealth System.
• Referrals for follow-up appointments are coordinated among the departments. Call 216-778-3958 and ask for the MDA Care Center.

The MDA clinic is in the Women and Children's Pavilion at the MetroHealth Main Campus.

Leadership

About Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy isn't just one disease. It's a group of at least 10 hereditary diseases characterized by muscle breakdown and weakness of the limbs that worsens with time.
Different types of muscular dystrophy affect specific groups of muscles. Some appear early in life, while others show up later. Some occur more often in one gender than the other. Some types lead to difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath or heart failure. Some types of muscular dystrophy are more severe than others.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), for example, often appears between the ages of 3 and 5 years. DMD primarily occurs in boys. The muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders are usually the first affected. Heart and respiratory muscles can become weakened by the early teen years.

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), on the other hand, usually appears in late childhood or adolescence. It's a milder, less predictable version of DMD. People with BMD often have significant related heart problems.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a group of disorders that mainly affect muscles around the hips and shoulders. There may be more than 20 different subtypes of LGMD. Heart and respiratory complications can occur in the later stages of the disease.

Additional types of muscular dystrophy include:

• Congenital muscular dystrophy
• Congenital myotonic dystrophy
• Distal muscular dystrophy
• Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy
• Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Other neuromuscular conditions covered in the MetroHealth MDA Care Center include:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Central-core disease and other congenital myopathies
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and other inherited peripheral neuropathies
• Dermatomyositis
• Friedreich's ataxia and other hereditary ataxias
• Kearns-Sayre syndrome and other mitochondrial myopathies
• McArdle's disease
• Myasthenia gravis
• Myotonia congenita
• Polymyositis
• Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

See a complete list of neuromuscular conditions here.

A neuromuscular diagnosis in an adult or child can be frightening. Since there are so many different diagnoses that fall under this heading, understanding the impact of the diagnosis can be difficult. At the MetroHealth MDA Care Center, our compassionate specialists offer the most comprehensive, up-to-date approach to neuromuscular disorders.

Services and Support

MDA is committed to helping kids and adults with muscle-debilitating diseases live longer and grow stronger. MDA offers numerous services and resources. In both clinics, an MDA representative is available.