Ataxia is a movement disorder that causes uncoordinated movements. This can cause a variety of movement problems and have a dramatic impact on your overall quality of life. Our proven treatment solutions will restore normal movement patterns and get back to enjoying all of your favorite activities! Don’t let ataxia keep you from doing what you love when a solution is just a few sessions away.
Understanding Ataxia
Ataxia is a sign of dysfunction in the neurologic system. Most likely this will involve the cerebellum in the brain. One function of the cerebellum is to serve as a coordination center. This complex system must receive information, interpret it, and quickly produce a response. The cerebellum is responsible for coordinated movement. Lack of motor coordination can cause slurred speech, stumbling, shaky movements, and falls.
A thorough evaluation by a physical therapist can help to identify systems that are not working properly and to provide the best treatment for the incoordination caused by your ataxia.
What Can Cause Ataxia?
Ataxia is a symptom of a problem in the cerebellum. The following is a brief list of issues that may effect the cerebellum to function normally..
Brain Lesions, tumor or stroke
Lesions in the brain, a stroke, or a tumor can result in damage to the cerebellum. Depending on the location of the lesions, can cause ataxia
Drug and alcohol abuse
Ataxia has also been linked to drug and alcohol abuse
Hereditary Disorder
Ataxia can also be due to a hereditary disorder such as freidrichs ataxia.
Prescription Medication
Certain prescription medications, most notably psychiatric medications, can also cause ataxia
B12 Deficiency
Ataxia may also be a symptom of a B12 deficiency
Our Ataxia Treatment Approaches
Motor Coordination
A physical therapist will select specific activities that force the brain to coordinate arm and leg movement. It is common to start these activities in a safe seating or laying down position. As the movement improves in these positions, the therapist will progress these activities into standing and walking
Activities of Daily living
A physical therapist will also incorporate arm movements that are necessary for dressing, bathing, grooming, and eating.
Static and Dynamic Balance Exercises
The cerebellum is responsible for modulating fine adjustments in the legs and trunk that help the body to stay upright. Ataxia causes these fine adjustments to become uncoordinated and result in what we call “overshooting” or “under-shooting”. A therapist may use a weighted vest to “calm” down overshooting and/or manual techniques to facilitate more appropriate and timely balance response reactions.
Gait Training
Gait training with manual cues to facilitate smoother movement patterns. Repetitive practice with the correct manual cues has been shown to help the brain create new connections.