4 essential things to know about movement disorders

For every single movement in the body, from moving the limbs to blinking an eye, there occurs a complex intercommunication between the nervous system, nerves, and muscles. Any malfunction or damage to any of these components may lead to serious repercussions. Movement disorders, therefore, fall under neurological disorders that cause abnormal involuntary movements in a person.

Movement disorders can affect one or multiple parts of the body and can become severe over time.

Read on to know more about different types, causes, and symptoms of movement disorders and the steps involved in treating them.

What are the different types of movement disorders?
There are different types of movement disorders; some of the common types have been listed below.

• Ataxia – Ataxia is a type of movement disorder that affects the part of the brain that controls coordinated movements. This type also causes an imbalance in speech or limb movements.
• Dystonia – In this condition, the affected person experiences sustained involuntary muscle contractions that causes twisting and repetitive movements. Dystonia can affect the entire body or just one part.
• Parkinson’s disease – This is a slow and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes stiffness, tremors, slow decreased movement, and imbalance.
• Functional movement disorder – This condition is also called psychogenic movement disorder that is characterized by symptoms like tremors, jerks, spasms, and gait problems.
• Chorea – This condition causes repetitive, irregular, and rapid involuntary facial and body movements.
• Multiple system atrophy – This is an uncommon condition that affects the brain system and causes damage to different types of neurons, nerve cells, in the brain and spinal cord.

What causes movement disorders?
The underlying cause of movement disorders remain unknown; however, there are multiple factors that lead to this condition.

• The factors that can influence the development of movement disorders include infections, inflammation, toxins, stroke, trauma, metabolic disorders, age-related changes, genetic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and reaction to certain medicines.
• Doctors also believe that heredity and environmental triggers contribute to the development of movement disorders. Environmental triggers can include exposure to certain metals and pesticides.
• Another risk factor for movement disorders can include metabolic disorders like hyperthyroidism.
• Certain nerve diseases can also lead to the development of movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.
• Though there are multiple factors that contribute to movement disorders, identifying the causes of movement disorders is still an active area of study by doctors and medical researchers.

What are the signs and symptoms of movement disorders?

• Signs of movement disorders often appear gradually as the condition progresses. Common early signs include muscle weakness and stiffness.
• As the disorder progresses, signs like involuntary movements occur. These movements include twitches and tics in different parts of the body.
• Movement disorders also lead to an increased muscle tone that causes rigidity in the muscles. An increased muscle tone is often accompanied by muscle pain and muscle spasm. This is a common symptom of dystonia, a type of movement disorder.
• Incoordination, loss of balance, abnormal postures, difficulty in walking, frequent falling due to imbalance, inability to perform voluntary movements, and excessively spontaneous movements are other common signs and symptoms of movement disorders.

What are the steps involved in treating movement disorders?

• When a person experiences certain symptoms of movement disorders and consults a doctor, the doctor will assess the symptoms to gauge the type of movement disorder.
• For a proper diagnosis, the doctor may take a detailed medical and personal history of the patient. The doctor may also conduct nerve conduction studies, neuropsychological tests, MRI scan, electromyography, and electroencephalography.
• Upon diagnosing the condition, the doctor will evaluate which treatment is right for the type of movement disorder the patient is suffering from.
• Some treatment options include Botox injections, deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure, and medication.
• Occupational therapy, speech therapy, and intrathecal baclofen therapy—part of spasticity management—are also given to patients suffering from a certain type of movement disorder.
• Post-treatment, doctors often suggest dietary changes and home-health services as a part of recovery.