How did our ancestors on the prairie treat duchenne muscular dystrophy?

The treatment...: ...For dmd prolongs life somewhat but does not change the overall prognosis. The best thing we can do is provide moral support for the family and the patient in difficult times, and i don't know if we do that any better than our ancestors did.

They Didn't: Although today's treatment is very limited, our ancestors other than supportive devices, had no real therapy.

Not well: Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that is progressive and affects boys. There are new treatments including steroid treatment, but all of the children eventually succumb to their disease. In the old days and even in most of the developing countries of the world, duchenne's has a very poor outcome with most children dying in their late teenage years.

Supportive care: Historically, our ancestors would have had no idea what is occurring to people with Duchenne MD. They would have offered supportive care. They would have had little knowledge of the cause of respiratory diseases, which are the main cause of death in DMD. They would have been perplexed by the wasting of the muscles and failure to get about.