Muscular Dystrophy Travel Insurance

There are many different types of muscular dystrophy. Each has varying symptoms, but all are caused by changes in the genes that look after the way the muscles work. In many cases, muscular dystrophy is hereditary. There are roughly 70,000 people in the UK that have muscular dystrophy or a related condition. There is currently no cure, though the symptoms can be minimised through mobility exercises, surgery and medication.

If you have muscular dystrophy, or know someone who does, you may have found it difficult to find travel insurance from a standard provider that covers the condition. At Free Spirit, as long as your doctor is happy for you to go, we believe everyone should be able to travel. We specialise in offering travel insurance for almost any existing medical condition to people of all ages.

Some of the more common types of muscular dystrophy are:

Duchenne muscular dystrophy – with approximately 2,500 cases in the UK, this is one of the most common types of MD. Duchenne muscular dystrophy tends to affect boys more than girls, to be less acute in girls and to develop early in life. It progresses quickly, meaning that children and young adults with the condition struggle to walk, run and climb stairs and eventually have trouble breathing.

Myotonic dystrophy – this type of MD can develop at any age, but in general, the later it appears, the less severe symptoms may be.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy – this is a slow-progressing form of MD, and often affects the muscles in the face, shoulders, arms and legs.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy – this causes weakness in the arms and legs, around the ‘girdle’ of the shoulders and hips. In most cases, it develops during late childhood or early adulthood.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy – This tends to affect people over the age of 50 and affects the muscles in the eyes and throat.

• Firstly, speak to your doctor. It’s important that they are satisfied that your travel plans are suitable for you and won’t adversely affect your, or your family member’s, health. For example, if you plan to travel by air and muscular dystrophy affects your breathing, your doctor may need you to complete a ‘fit to fly’ test.
• Your doctor will also be able to prescribe more than enough medication to cover your time away from home, as well as a doctor’s letter explaining what your medicine is, and giving you permission to carry it with you, if need be.
• If you use a wheelchair, make sure your hotel or accommodation provider is wheelchair-friendly, with lifts to any upper floors, accessible parking and no steep hills or terrain to tackle. Look for rooms with raised toilet seats and roll-in showers – these are much safer and more comfortable than a shower that just has grab bars. Some hotels may even offer the hiring of wheelchairs or other mobility aids, to save you having to take your own.
• If you will be flying, speak to your airline ahead of time to make sure you can take any wheelchairs and/or ventilators with you on the plane. There may well be help you can access at the airport too, such as getting to and from your departure gate and help with luggage, call ahead to organise this if necessary.