Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders

Movement Disorders are common causes of neurological symptoms. The best known is Parkinson’s Disease, a condition which causes slowness and stiffness of movement, tremor, and walking problems due to progressive damage to cells in the brain that produce a chemical called dopamine. However, there are a very wide range of other movement disorders which can cause a range of different problems with movement control. These include tremor, dystonia, myoclonus, chorea, tics, and restlessness (akathisia). In turn, these different movement disorders can have a wide range of different causes from genetic disorders such as Huntington’s Disease, to developmental conditions such as Tourette’s Syndrome and degenerative disorders such as progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome. 

This wide range of conditions and possible causes can make it difficult to get a clear diagnosis for the problems. Even when a diagnosis has been made, accessing appropriate treatment can be challenging. Treatment for many people with movement disorders involves medication and may require botulinum toxin injections (“Botox”) or even consideration of invasive treatment such as brain surgery. Movement Disorders cause difficulties that often extend well beyond the movement problem itself, due to their impact on mental health and cognitive function. There is good evidence in several movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s Disease, for the benefit of neurorehabilitation, but accessing rehabilitation expertise is often difficult.

We are different. We have internationally recognised specialist expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of all aspects of movement disorders, offering holistic neurological and psychological rehabilitation integrated with neurological and neuropsychiatric expertise. We’re all about joined up thinking.