Inclusion-Body Myositis (IBM)

Medical Management

There is currently no cure for inclusion body myositis (IBM). Disease management is focused on optimizing muscle strength and function using strategies such as exercise, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Immunosuppressive steroid therapy is used to treat most idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), the group of diseases that encompass IBM. This therapy, however, is typically ineffective in people with sporadic IBM (sIBM) and is not recommended in most cases.

People with IBM who are experiencing dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) should be evaluated by a speech therapist. A speech therapist can help with techniques to minimize the risk of aspiration (blocking of the airway by food/fluid).

Treatment plans are typically individualized to meet the needs of the affected person and ongoing monitoring is required to optimize the treatment protocol.

References

1. Johnson, L. G. et al. Improvement in aerobic capacity after an exercise program in sporadic inclusion body myositis. J. Clin. Neuromuscul. Dis. (2009). doi:10.1097/CND.0b013e3181a23c86
2. Alexanderson, H. & Lundberg, I. E. Exercise as a therapeutic modality in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Current Opinion in Rheumatology (2012). doi:10.1097/BOR.0b013e32834f19f5
3. Spector, S. A. et al. Safety and efficacy of strength training in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis. Muscle and Nerve (1997). doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4598(199710)20:10<1242::AID-MUS6>3.0.CO;2-C
4. Greenberg SA. Inclusion body myositis: clinical features and pathogenesis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2019;15(5):257-272. doi:10.1038/s41584-019-0186-x
5. Naddaf E. Inclusion body myositis: Update on the diagnostic and therapeutic landscape. Front Neurol. 2022;13:2236. doi:10.3389/FNEUR.2022.1020113/BIBTEX

Last update: Feb 2023
Reviewed by Julie Paik, MD, MHS; Johns Hopkins University