Functional Neurology: What are Movement Disorders?

Movement disorders are characterized as health issues that cause abnormal and involuntary body positions or movements. Many neurological conditions are caused by brain signal problems and they can ultimately affect quality, fluency, speed, and ease of movement. Dyskinesia is characterized as abnormal and involuntary fluency and/or speed of movement while hyperkinesia is characterized as excessive movement and hypokinesia is characterized as slow or absent, abnormal and involuntary movements. Movement disorders are also referred to as conversion disorders and/or psychogenic movement disorders.   Injuries or underlying conditions to the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system don’t always cause movement disorders. Movement disorders can include:  

• Tics, characterized as abnormal and/or involuntary contractions of the muscles,
• Tremor, also referred to as a resting tremor or essential tremor,
• Ataxia, characterized by “jerky” movements and coordination problems,
• Dystonia, characterized as abnormal and/or involuntary, generally prolonged contractions of the muscles,
• Huntington’s disease, also referred to as chronic progressive chorea,
• Parkinson’s disease, a well-known movement disorder, including tremors,
• Multiple system atrophies, also referred to as Shy-Drager syndrome,
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS) and reflex sympathetic dystrophy/periodic limb movement disorder (RSD/PLMD),
• Myoclonus, characterized by rapid, brief, irregular movements,
• Tourette’s syndrome, another well-known movement disorder, including repetitive or unwanted sounds and movements,
• Wilson disease, known as an inherited health issue that causes a variety of symptoms and liver disease, and
• Progressive supranuclear palsy, characterized as a rare health issue that affects movement.

As previously mentioned in the list above, tics are a well-known, movement disorder characterized by abnormal and/or involuntary contractions of the muscles that can ultimately affect an individual’s regular physical activities as well as their overall quality of life. Tics are generally triggered by a powerful urge or sensation that is temporarily relieved after the contraction of the muscles. Several examples of common tics can involve the following, including:  

• Twitching of the face,
• Clearing of the throat,
• Grunting,
• Sighing,
• Blinking, and/or
• Shrugging of the shoulders.

Dystonia can include spasmodic torticollis, characterized by abnormal and/or involuntary movements of the eyelids, face, head, neck, and blepharospasm.   Tourette’s syndrome is another well-known movement disorder characterized as a health issue that causes a variety of vocal and motor tics or repetitive contractions of the muscles. Common symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome generally manifest during childhood and/or early adolescence and they can commonly vary in severity and frequency. Patients diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome can also ultimately develop a variety of other behavioral problems, including inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, compulsions, and obsessions. A diagnosis is necessary to determine the presence of Tourette’s syndrome.  

What are the Symptoms of Movement Disorders?

Movement disorders are characterized by abnormal and involuntary movements. But, patients may also experience a variety of other symptoms, including:  

• Jerky movements or twitching,
• Spasms and/or contractures, characterized as limbs “freezing” in an abnormal or involuntary body position,
• Tremors, characterized by abnormal or involuntary movement of a limb, can range from moderate to severe and occasional or constant, and
• Gait problems, characterized as walking problems that can ultimately cause difficulty while standing or unsteady walking.

The symptoms of the movement disorders previously mentioned above can be treated. Treatment can help improve the symptoms of movement disorders.  

What are the Treatments for Movement Disorders?

Movement disorders can cause stress and ultimately affect an individual’s overall quality of life. Qualified and experienced healthcare professionals that specialize in a variety of movement disorders can help diagnose as well as develop a treatment program for every patient’s unique needs and symptoms. The goal of a doctor is to help improve the quality of life of patients with movement disorders through the use of lifestyle modifications, therapy, and medicines. According to the diagnosis, the healthcare professional will ultimately suggest treatments and possible referrals to other specialists, including:  

• Hypnosis,
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or dialectical-behavioral therapy,
• Referral to neurobehavioral healthcare professionals,
• Physical therapy,
• Chiropractic care,
• Medication

Movement disorders are ultimately characterized as a variety of neurological health issues that can also generally cause various abnormal and involuntary body positions or movements. Many other neurological health issues are commonly caused by problems in the transmitting signals of the brain and they can ultimately affect quality, fluency, speed, and ease of movement. Movement disorders are also frequently referred to as conversion disorders and/or psychogenic movement disorders. Treatment of the symptoms of movement disorders will ultimately depend on the diagnosis of the patient. – Dr. Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T. Insight

Movement disorders are characterized as health issues that cause abnormal and involuntary body positions or movements. Many neurological conditions are caused by brain signal problems and they can ultimately affect quality, fluency, speed, and ease of movement. Dyskinesia is characterized as abnormal and involuntary fluency and/or speed of movement while hyperkinesia is characterized as excessive movement and hypokinesia is characterized as slow or absent, abnormal and involuntary movements. Movement disorders are also referred to as conversion disorders and/or psychogenic movement disorders.  

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. 

Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez  

References:

• Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center. “Functional Movement Disorders.” Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center, stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/brain-and-nerves/functional-movement-disorders.html.
• Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center. “Symptoms.” Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center, stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/brain-and-nerves/functional-movement-disorders/symptoms.html.
• Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center. “Treatments.” Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center, stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/brain-and-nerves/functional-movement-disorders/treatments.html.
• Swierzewski, Stanley J. “Movement Disorders Overview.” Movement Disorders Overview – Movement Disorders – HealthCommunities.com, 1 Jan. 2000, www.healthcommunities.com/movement-disorders/overview-of-movement-disorders.shtml.

Neurotransmitter Assessment Form

The following Neurotransmitter Assessment Form can be filled out and presented to Dr. Alex Jimenez. The following symptoms listed on this form are not intended to be utilized as a diagnosis of any type of disease, condition, or any other type of health issue.  

Additional Topic Discussion: Chronic Pain

Sudden pain is a natural response of the nervous system which helps to demonstrate possible injury. By way of instance, pain signals travel from an injured region through the nerves and spinal cord to the brain. Pain is generally less severe as the injury heals, however, chronic pain is different than the average type of pain. With chronic pain, the human body will continue sending pain signals to the brain, regardless if the injury has healed. Chronic pain can last for several weeks to even several years. Chronic pain can tremendously affect a patient’s mobility and it can reduce flexibility, strength, and endurance.  

Neural Zoomer Plus for Neurological Disease

Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate neurological diseases. The Neural Zoomer^TM Plus is an array of neurological autoantibodies which offers specific antibody-to-antigen recognition. The Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus is designed to assess an individual’s reactivity to 48 neurological antigens with connections to a variety of neurologically related diseases. The Vibrant Neural Zoomer^TM Plus aims to reduce neurological conditions by empowering patients and physicians with a vital resource for early risk detection and an enhanced focus on personalized primary prevention.  

Food Sensitivity for the IgG & IgA Immune Response

Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate health issues associated with food sensitivities. The Food Sensitivity Zoomer^TM is an array of 180 commonly consumed food antigens that offers very specific antibody-to-antigen recognition. This panel measures an individual’s IgG and IgA sensitivity to food antigens. Being able to test IgA antibodies provides additional information to foods that may be causing mucosal damage. Additionally, this test is ideal for patients who might be suffering from delayed reactions to certain foods. Utilizing an antibody-based food sensitivity test can help prioritize the necessary foods to eliminate and create a customized diet plan around the patient’s specific needs.  

Gut Zoomer for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Dr. Alex Jimenez utilizes a series of tests to help evaluate gut health associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The Vibrant Gut Zoomer^TM offers a report that includes dietary recommendations and other natural supplementation like prebiotics, probiotics, and polyphenols. The gut microbiome is mainly found in the large intestine and it has more than 1000 species of bacteria that play a fundamental role in the human body, from shaping the immune system and affecting the metabolism of nutrients to strengthening the intestinal mucosal barrier (gut-barrier). It is essential to understand how the number of bacteria that symbiotically live in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract influences gut health because imbalances in the gut microbiome may ultimately lead to gastrointestinal (GI) tract symptoms, skin conditions, autoimmune disorders, immune system imbalances, and multiple inflammatory disorders.  

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