Movement Disorders: Ataxia, Dystonia, Parkinson's, Tremor and More

What they are

Movement disorders are neurologic conditions that cause problems with movement. They can bring:

• more movement than usual, which may be voluntary (intended) or involuntary (unintended);
• less or slower voluntary movement.

Common types

There are many movement disorders. Among the more common:

• Ataxia — lost muscle coordination.
• Dystonia — involuntary muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements, which can be painful.
• Huntington's disease — an inherited disease in which nerve cells in certain parts of the brain waste away, including those that help control voluntary movement.
• Parkinson's disease — a disorder that slowly gets worse over time, causing tremors, slowness of movement and trouble walking.
• Tourette syndrome — sudden twitches, movements or sounds, called tics.
• Tremor and essential tremor — involuntary trembling or shaking of one or more parts of the body.

Causes

• genetics;
• infections;
• medicines;
• damage to the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves;
• metabolic disorders;
• stroke and vascular diseases;
• toxins.

Treatment

It depends on the disorder. Medicines can cure some; others improve when an underlying disease is treated. Often, though, there's no cure — then treatment aims to ease symptoms and relieve pain.

Sources

Based on "Movement Disorders," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.