Becker Muscular DystrophySymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Becker Muscular Dystrophy
Becker muscular dystrophy is an inherited disorder that involves slowly worsening muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis.
Benign pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy; Becker's dystrophy
Becker muscular dystrophy is very similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The main difference is that it gets worse at a much slower rate and it is less common. This disease is caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes a protein called dystrophin.
The disorder is passed down through families (inherited). Having a family history of the condition raises your risk.
Becker muscular dystrophy occurs in about 3 to 6 out of every 100,000 births. The disease is found mostly in boys.
Females rarely develop symptoms. Males will develop symptoms if they inherit the defective gene. Symptoms most often appear in boys between ages 5 and 15, but may begin later.
Muscle weakness of the lower body, including the legs and pelvis area, slowly gets worse, causing:
- Difficulty walking that gets worse over time; by age 25 to 30, the person is usually unable to walk
- Frequent falls
- Difficulty getting up from the floor and climbing stairs
- Difficulty with running, hopping, and jumping
- Loss of muscle mass
- Toe walking
- Muscle weakness in the arms, neck, and other areas is not as severe as in the lower body
Other symptoms may include:
- Breathing problems
- Cognitive problems (these do not get worse over time)
- Fatigue
- Loss of balance and coordination
There is no known cure for Becker muscular dystrophy. However there are many new medicines currently undergoing clinical testing that show significant promise in treating the disease. The current goal of treatment is to control symptoms to maximize the person's quality of life. Some providers prescribe steroids to help keep a patient walking for as long as possible.
Activity is encouraged. Inactivity (such as bed rest) can make the muscle disease worse. Physical therapy may be helpful to maintain muscle strength. Orthopedic appliances such as braces and wheelchairs may improve movement and self-care.
Abnormal heart function may require the use of a pacemaker or defibrillator.
Genetic counseling may be recommended. Daughters of a man with Becker muscular dystrophy will very likely carry the defective gene and could pass it on to their sons.
UPMC Department Of Neurology
Paula Clemens, MD, is a neurologist certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is chief of the Division of Veterans Affairs and a professor of Neurology, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Human Genetics, and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed her residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, followed by a neuromuscular fellowship at Mayo Clinic and a molecular genetics fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Clemens is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Becker Muscular Dystrophy. Her top areas of expertise are Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Becker Muscular Dystrophy, Pompe Disease, and Myotonic Dystrophy.
Neuromuscular - Integrated Medical Services
Russell Butterfield, MD, PhD received his PhD in mammalian genetics, and medical degree from the University of Illinois. He completed his residency training in pediatric neurology at the University of Utah in June 2009. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, after completing a fellowship in neuromuscular disorders sponsored by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Dr. Butterfield is board certified in Neurology with special qualification in child neurology. Dr. Butterfield’s clinical interests include all types of neurogenetic and neuromuscular disorders with an emphasis on muscular dystrophies of childhood onset. His research interests are in understanding genetic aspects of these disorders. His current efforts are in characterization of genotype/phenotype relationships and molecular pathogenesis in collagen VI myopathies such as Bethlem myopathy and Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy. Dr. Butterfield is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Becker Muscular Dystrophy. His top areas of expertise are Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Becker Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and Primary Lateral Sclerosis.
Washington University
Craig Zaidman is a Neurologist in Saint Louis, Missouri. Dr. Zaidman is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Becker Muscular Dystrophy. His top areas of expertise are Becker Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and Primary Lateral Sclerosis.
You can ease the stress of the illness by joining a muscular dystrophy support group where members share common experiences and problems.
Becker muscular dystrophy leads to slowly worsening disability. However, the amount of disability varies. Some people may need a wheelchair. Others may only need to use walking aids such as canes or braces.
Lifespan is most often shortened if there are heart and breathing problems.
Complications may include:
- Heart-related problems such as cardiomyopathy
- Lung failure
- Pneumonia or other respiratory infections
- Increasing and permanent disability that leads to decreased ability to care for self, decreased mobility
Contact your provider if:
- Symptoms of Becker muscular dystrophy appear
- A person with Becker muscular dystrophy develops new symptoms (particularly fever with cough or breathing difficulties)
- You are planning to start a family and you or other family members have been diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy
Genetic counseling may be advised if there is a family history of Becker muscular dystrophy.
Summary: The purpose of this trial is to assess the safety, tolerability, and PK of 3 doses of GRT6019 in healthy male participants. This Phase I trial will be a multiple dose trial in healthy male participants with administration of GRT6019 in 3 cohorts. For each participant, the trial consists of a Screening Period of up to 28 days, a 4 week Treatment Period (including a 2-week clinic stay and 2 weeks in...
Summary: Baseline Study on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in view to collect data on the natural disease course in a cohort in young male subjects aged from 4 to 9 Years over a period of 6 to 36 months using disease appropriate evaluations.
Published Date: March 31, 2024
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Gloss D, Moxley RT III, Ashwal S, Oskoui M. Practice guideline update summary: corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2016;86(5):465-472. PMID: 26833937 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26833937/.
Manzur AY. Muscular dystrophies In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 649.
Selcen D. Muscle diseases. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 389.