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Every movement you make depends on flawless communication between nerves and muscles. Movement disorders occur when problems in the brain or nerves interfere with muscle activity.
The THINK Neurology for Kids team has the expertise and experience to determine if your child has a movement disorder. Following a diagnosis, the entire team — Shaun S. Varghese, MD, Cristina R. Marchesano, MD, Lorena Herbert, MD, Barbara Kiersz-Mueller, DO, Lauren Weaver, MD, Alicia Walls, MD, Sundeep Mandava, MD, Patricia DeForest DO, Jennifer E. Martin, CPNP-PC, Tammy DeLaGarza, FNP-C, Heather King, CPNP-PC, and Robby Korah, FNP-C — works together to create a care plan personalized to meet your child’s unique needs.
There are numerous movement disorders, including spasticity (stiff muscles and spasms), dystonia (sudden twisting movements), and ataxia (inability to control muscles).
We care for children with every type of movement disorder. However, three we frequently treat include:
1. Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy begins when the brain area controlling muscle movement is damaged during fetal development or a brain injury occurs during or after birth. This condition causes mild to severe symptoms but is not progressive, so your child’s symptoms won’t worsen.
Treatment for cerebral palsy includes one or more of the following:
Medications
We prescribe many different medications to improve symptoms such as spasticity, tremors, and uncontrollable movements. We may also recommend medications to ease the pain of spasms and tight muscles.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy focuses on your child’s needs, whether that means strengthening muscles, learning to relax muscles, or working on balance, control, and mobility.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy teaches practical skills needed during daily life, such as controlling muscles well enough to button shirts or eat.
Assistive equipment
Supportive equipment such as bracing or a wheelchair improves your child’s mobility.
Adaptive therapies
Schools, communities, and private organizations offer therapies that promote inclusion while improving children’s muscle control. Two examples include adaptive physical education and therapeutic horseback riding.
Surgery
Though surgery is the last treatment option, several procedures are available to treat spasticity.
2. Tic disorders and Tourette syndrome
Tics, one of the most common movement disorders in children and teens, cause uncontrollable movements (motor tics) and sounds (vocal tics).
Motor tics may appear as eye blinking, grimacing, shoulder shrugs, head gestures, or movements like hopping (to name a few).
Vocal tics cause a range of sounds. Children often hum, cough, grunt, and repeat words or phrases. Some children may have disinhibited speech and suddenly curse or say rude words.
If your child has vocal and motor tics for one year or longer, they’re diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
The primary treatments for tics and Tourette syndrome include:
Behavioral interventions
Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) teaches children about their tics and how to manage them.
They learn to identify emotions and situations that trigger tics and how to use an alternative behavior to stop the muscle or vocal movement. CBIT also includes approaches such as relaxation training and ways to modify activities to prevent tics.
Parent education and school intervention
Parents, teachers, and other caretakers often think tics are purposeful and try to use discipline to stop them.
We work closely with parents, teaching them about tics and Tourette syndrome, recommending techniques for supporting their child and giving them information to share with teachers to create a supportive environment at school.
Medications
Medications can’t stop or cure tics but can reduce their severity.
3. Tremors
Tremors (uncontrollable trembling or rhythmic shaking) can appear as symptoms of another neurological condition or be diagnosed as a primary condition (essential tremor).
Children with essential tremors are generally healthy except for muscle shaking, which occurs when active and disappears when resting. Tremors most often affect the hands and arms but can appear in your child’s neck, head, legs, or voice.
The top tremor treatments include:
Medications
Medications improve tremors by slowing electrical activity or blocking chemicals that cause the shaking.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy helps children learn to control tremors or improve movement during muscle shaking.
Assistive equipment
Devices such as hand weights or bracing go a long way toward controlling tremors.
Botox® injections
Botox stops muscle contractions, making it a potential treatment for tremors that don’t improve with other medications or therapies.
Focused ultrasound
Focused ultrasound is a safe, non-invasive treatment that uses sound waves to destroy the nerves causing your child’s tremors.
Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation is a treatment option for some, but not all, children. Children wear a medical device like a smartwatch that sends mild electrical stimulation into the nearby nerves, regulating nerve activity and stopping tremors.
Concerned about your child’s movement?
If you have questions about your child’s symptoms, book an appointment online or call the nearest THINK Neurology for Kids office. We’re in The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land, Austin, Gulf Coast, and San Antonio, Texas.