Movement Disorders We Treat

Learning that you have a movement disorder, such as Parkinson’s disease, can be stressful as you look to the future. At Henry Ford Health, our neurology experts are national leaders in high-quality treatment for movement disorders. We offer comprehensive care, from early diagnosis through long-term management, to help you have a good quality of life.

What are movement disorders?

Movement disorders are neurologic (nervous system) conditions that affect your ability to control muscle movements. Movement disorders can:

• Produce unwanted movements, such as muscle spasms or tremors (shaking)
• Reduce or slow intentional movements, such as walking

Every movement you make results from communication between your nervous system — which includes your brain, spinal cord and nerves — and your muscles. Movement disorders happen when an injury, condition or other problem disrupts this interaction.

Movement disorders care at Henry Ford: Why choose us?

Your care team helps you understand the diagnosis, its symptoms and what you can expect going forward. We build a lasting relationship with you to help you get the most out of your care.

Highlights of our movement disorders program include:

• Expertise: Our neurologists, neurosurgeons and other providers specialize in movement disorders and treat a high volume of patients. With our focus on specialty care and years of experience using all the latest treatments, we’re experts in finding the right combination of treatments for you. Meet our movement disorders team.
• Comprehensive evaluation and treatment: In our thorough evaluation process, we work closely with you to determine what you’re experiencing. Our team brings together their expertise from several fields of medicine to decide on the best options to relieve your symptoms. We offer comprehensive therapies including medications, Botox® injections, physical therapy and the latest surgical procedures. Learn more about movement disorders evaluation and treatment.
• Clinical trials for the latest treatments: We’re advancing the standard of care through our research on movement disorders. At Henry Ford, you have access (if eligible) to the newest therapies for movement disorders and the symptoms they cause. Read more about movement disorders research and innovation.

Movement disorders we treat

Our specialists treat all types of movement disorders. Some commonly known types include:

• Ataxia is a group of movement disorders that result from damage to or loss of nerve cells in the cerebellum, the part of your brain that controls muscle coordination. Find out more about the various types of ataxia.
• Dystonia causes your muscles to contract involuntarily, causing repetitive movements and twisting spasms that can produce abnormal, sometimes painful positions. Learn more about dystonia.
• Essential tremor causes involuntary, rhythmic shaking (tremors), usually in the hands, head, face, voice box or arms. Read about essential tremor.
• Huntington’s disease is an inherited disorder that affects your physical, cognitive (thinking) and emotional abilities, often causing uncontrollable movements and abnormal body positions. Our center has received national recognition as a Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence. Learn about Huntington's disease.
• Parkinson’s disease causes tremors (trembling) in the hands and other areas, stiffness, and slowed walking and other movements. Find out more about Parkinson's disease.
• Restless legs syndrome causes an uncontrollable urge to move your legs because of uncomfortable sensations that feel like creeping, crawling, tingling or burning.
• Tourette syndrome causes tics, which are sudden, repetitive movements or sounds that are difficult to control. Read more about Tourette syndrome.

Rare movement disorders we treat

Our team also diagnoses and treats more rare movement disorders, including:

• Multiple system atrophy (MSA) affects involuntary functions, including blood pressure, breathing and bladder function, and causes movement symptoms such as muscle rigidity and balance problems.
• Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) causes worsening difficulty with movement, including muscle spasms and rigidity, and with speech, vision and mental functions.
• Sydenham chorea develops after a bacterial infection with group A strep and causes rapid, irregular jerking movements.
• Tardive dyskinesia is a serious side effect of some antipsychotic medications that causes repetitive, jerking movements.