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Treatment for Movement Disorders at Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican

Diseases marked by uncontrolled or unwanted physical movements are called movement disorders. Your nervous system — brain, spinal cord, and nerves — controls when and how your body moves, so issues with your nervous system can lead to a movement disorder.

Parkinson’s disease is one of the best known movement disorders, but the term also includes cerebral palsy, dystonia, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.

Would you like to learn more about your options for treatment with movement disorders in Las Vegas or Henderson, NV? Find a Doctor at Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican or call 702.616.4900 to schedule a consultation with a neurologist.

 

Symptoms of Movement Disorders

Signs and symptoms of movement disorders vary depending on the underlying cause. In general, they include problems with physical coordination, trouble walking, muscle weakness, episodes of uncontrolled movements (such as during a seizure) twitching, or muscle spasm.

 

What Causes Movement Disorders?

Some movement disorders are passed down through families, such as Huntington’s disease, from a parent through an abnormal gene (a gene mutation). Other movement disorders occur for no known reason. Researchers believe movement disorders may be the result of autoimmune diseases, nervous system injury, infections, or even certain medications.

Here’s what is known about more well-known movement disorders:

  • Parkinson’s disease is caused by a loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells and other changes in the brain. It’s thought that a combination of genetic and environmental factors cause this disease.
  • Cerebral palsy is due to abnormal brain development in areas responsible for coordination and balance. The exact cause is not known in most cases, but risk factors include infections during pregnancy that are passed from the mother to her baby, lack of oxygen or injury to the baby during pregnancy or labor, and premature birth. 
  • Epilepsy is marked by repeated seizures triggered by malfunctioning nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. A specific cause is not known for about half the cases of epilepsy. Abnormal genes, injury, infection, and tumors affecting brain development and nerve cell function are known causes of epilepsy. 
  • Dystonia appears to be due to damage or abnormal function in the parts of the brain that control muscle movement. Some people inherit dystonia. Other risk factors include injury during birth, infections, poisoning, brain trauma, and stroke.
  • Multiple sclerosis is due to the erosion of the protective covering of nerve fibers, which disrupts the ability of nerves to rapidly send signals throughout the body. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. 

 

Expert Treatment for Movement Disorders in Las Vegas, NV

Your treatment options for movement disorders depend on the specific defect and disease process. In general, your treatment at Dignity Health will focus on controlling muscle movements like tremors, slowing progression of the disease, and improving your quality of life. Medication, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, as well as surgery, may help you.

Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican offers personalized care and treatment for movement disorders in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV.