🧬 World Duchenne Awareness Day — 7 September 2025
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic condition caused by a mutation on the X-chromosome, which is why it almost exclusively affects males. In Australia, it affects around 1 in 3,500–5,000 male births — meaning 30–40 new boys are diagnosed each year, with more than 1,000 Australians currently living with the condition. Advances in care have lifted median life expectancy from 18 years to beyond 24 years.
What is often less visible are the hidden impacts. Pelvic floor muscles are weakened along with other skeletal muscles, leading to constipation, incomplete evacuation, and urinary leakage in later stages. Clinical observations suggest erectile dysfunction may be relatively common, yet sexual and pelvic health outcomes are rarely studied, under-reported, and often left out of care discussions — despite their profound impact on quality of life.
Within a multidisciplinary approach, manual therapy for pelvic health can provide important supportive benefits. When delivered appropriately, it may help manage pain from contractures, improve bowel motility and reduce discomfort from constipation, support continence, and enhance sexual function — ultimately improving quality of life for boys and men living with Duchenne.
Today, on World Duchenne Awareness Day, we recognise that family is the true heart of care, carrying the emotional and physical weight of this condition alongside their sons. By raising awareness of these hidden impacts, we can broaden the scope of care, ensuring boys and men living with Duchenne receive support that truly reflects the whole person — not just the disease.
#WDAD2025 #Duchenne #DuchenneAwareness #DuchenneMuscularDystrophy #MensHealth #PelvicHealth #ManualTherapy #CoffsHarbour
