Movement Disorders Likely to Affect Your Quality of Life
Movement disorders can significantly affect your mobility. You suddenly realize you have slowed speech, muscle spasms, a stooped physique or frequent falls. Falls Church movement disorders specialists at Integrated Neurology Services assert that the diseases are not a preserve for a particular age. For instance, while essential tremor affects adults above 65 years, Tourette syndrome might affect kids as low as six years. Movement disorders vary and symptoms may range from mild to disabling. The most crucial part of having a movement disorder is finding a dedicated team of specialists who will monitor the condition’s progress and enhance your overall wellness with modern therapies. Below are the different types of movement disorders:
- Parkinson’s disease
This progressive condition results from nerve cells degeneration in your brain’s substantia nigra (part of the brain that controls movement). The responsible nerve cells die or malfunction, affecting the brain’s ability to produce dopamine. Parkinson’s disease has various symptoms, including steady movement loss, tremor, muscle rigidity, reduced mental skill and a stooped physique with bent hips, knees and elbows. Though medications might help relieve the condition’s symptoms, your doctor might suggest surgery if the drugs fail to be effective.
- Dystonia
The neurological muscle condition entails involuntary muscle spasms resulting from an abnormal functioning of basal ganglia (part of your brain that controls movement). Dystonia patients mostly have uncontrollable twisting and abnormal postures, likely to affect the vocal cords, legs, arms, eyelids and trunk. Your primary physician might recommend a three-tiered approach including medication, Botox injections and a surgical procedure.
- Ataxia
The degenerative disorder that will most likely affect your spinal cord, brain or brainstem results in instability, inaccuracy, clumsiness and no coordination. Since the movements might appear jerky, an ataxia patient might experience frequent falling because of a less steady gait. Unfortunately, the condition might also affect a patient’s eye movement and speech.
- Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
The progressive neurodegenerative condition affects body functions like movements and blood pressure. However, the onset, symptoms and severity vary in different individuals. Thus, finding similar symptoms in two patients with MSA might be challenging. Common symptoms an MSA patient might have include loss of balance, rigidity, a dramatic fall of blood pressure, lightheadedness, fainting and instability.
- Essential tremor
As the name suggests, the condition involves uncontrollable shaking and trembling on either one or both hands, which worsens when the patient attempts to perform basic movements. Though the disease mainly affects adults above the age of 65years, it has no connection with any underlying ailment. Instead, it results from brain abnormalities, especially on the parts that control movement. Though essential tremors might not have severe complications, they might cause distress and affect your everyday life.
- Huntington’s disease
The fatal, degenerative and gradually-progressing ailment results from the deterioration of particular nerve cells in your brain. Symptoms you are likely to have with the illness include uncontrollable face, trunk and limb movements, consistent loss of mental abilities, presence of psychiatric issues and jerking. Though the treatment has no cure, your doctor may suggest options to help minimize your symptoms, thus preventing possible complications.
Movement disorders can be disabling, especially if they advance to a severe state, affecting your normal functioning. Call your doctor when you start showcasing weird symptoms for an evaluation.
