What Are Neuromuscular Diseases?
Neuromuscular diseases are conditions that affect your nerve and muscle function. Neuromuscular disorders affect your peripheral nerves—the nerves outside your brain and spinal cord.
Types of Neuromuscular Disorders We Treat
Our specialists treat multiple types of neuromuscular disorders. There are hundreds of types of neuromuscular disorders, and our experts treat the most common to complex types:
-
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)— This rare group of diseases affects the nerve cells that control voluntary movements. Voluntary movements are things like walking or talking. ALS gradually makes it impossible to talk, move, and breathe.
-
Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy—Nerve damage occurs after chemotherapy treatment.
-
Kennedy’s disease—This rare genetic disorder causes your muscles to get weaker over time.
-
Muscular dystrophy—This group of diseases causes loss of muscle mass and loss of strength. Symptoms worsen over time.
-
Myasthenia gravis—This condition causes problems between your muscles and nerves. It happens when your immune system attacks your body.
-
Nerve entrapment and impingement—This condition occurs when your nerve gets trapped or squeezed by surrounding tissue.
-
Peripheral neuropathy—This condition is caused by damage to your peripheral nerves. You may experience tingling, weakness, or numbness in your hands or feet as a result.
-
Polymyositis: A disease that causes muscle irritation, inflammation, and weakness.
-
Spinal muscular atrophy: A condition that affects your voluntary muscle movements and causes muscle weakening and shrinking (atrophy).
Find a Neurologist
Neuromuscular Disorder Symptoms
- Extra sensitivity to touch
- Fatigue
- Loss of muscle mass (atrophy)
- Sensation loss
- Weakness
Your First Neuromuscular Clinic Visit
Our team reviews every referral to ensure you visit the right specialists in the right clinic. Most of our patients start their care in our Neuromuscular Clinic.
The Neuromuscular Clinic is a teaching clinic. This means you may see a medical student, resident, or fellow along with a neuromuscular doctor. Your neuromuscular doctor supervises these trainees at all times and leads your visits.
Your neuromuscular specialist will ask you about your symptoms and health history. They will discuss any prior tests or treatments you’ve had. They may also order several new tests:
-
Electrodiagnostic studies—Tests such as electromyography (EMGs) and nerve conduction studies show us your body’s nerve signals and muscle response.
-
Needle biopsy—We insert a small needle into your muscle to get a tissue sample. This can give us more information about the cause of muscle weakness or nerve problems.
-
Blood tests—We may order blood tests to help us identify or rule out conditions that could cause similar symptoms.
-
Genetic tests—Genetic testing can help us determine whether you have any gene changes (mutations) associated with a neuromuscular disorder.
-
Imaging tests—CT scans and MRIs can help us look more closely at your muscles and soft tissues.
Your neuromuscular doctor will make an initial diagnosis based on your test results and health history. You may continue your treatment with this doctor, or they may refer you to one of our subspecialty clinics if needed.
Neuromuscular Disorders Treatment
Your treatment plan for a neuromuscular disorder varies depending on your diagnosis:
-
Medications—We may prescribe medicine that reduces your symptoms or slows the progress of your neuromuscular disease.
-
Occupational therapy—An occupational therapist may teach you different ways to perform your everyday tasks to make them easier for you. They may also recommend devices such as canes or walkers. These may help you take part in your daily activities.
-
Pain management—Certain medicines, lifestyle changes, or other therapies may help manage pain.
-
Physical therapy—A physical therapist teaches you exercises that improve your strength, balance, and range of motion.
Our team also offers promising new neuromuscular treatments through clinical trials.
Why Choose University of Utah Health?
We are the only neuromuscular disease clinics in the Mountain West certified by the Muscular Dystrophy Association and ALS Association. This certification highlights our commitment to specialized, comprehensive care. At U of U Health, you will have access to exceptional neuromuscular disorder specialists.
We are an accredited Electromyography (EMG) Center with the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electroneurodiagnostic Medicine. This certification means all of our providers and technologists have advanced training in neuromuscular medicine. We are also the only specialists in the state who offer needle biopsies for neuromuscular diseases. Needle biopsies help us make accurate diagnoses that lead to effective treatment plans. Our experts offer you the latest neuromuscular treatments, including access to clinical trials.
Neuromuscular Subspecialty Clinics
Our neuromuscular experts care for patients in several subspecialized clinics:
ALS Clinic
We have the only comprehensive ALS Clinic in the region. This clinic offers a full range of specialty services for patients with ALS. People throughout the region come to us for our full-spectrum treatment options. These include a broad range of clinical trials.
MDA Clinic
Our MDA Clinic is the only one in Utah with Muscular Dystrophy Association certification. We treat children and adults with muscular dystrophies. We also have an outreach clinic that travels to southern Utah.
Immunotherapy Adverse Neurologic Events Clinic
Some cancer treatments can cause side effects in your nerve and muscle function. We help diagnose and treat those side effects so you can have the best outcome possible. Our neuromuscular doctors lead the Immunotherapy Adverse Neurologic Events Clinic in partnership with Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Make an Appointment With Our Neurologists
You need a referral from your primary care provider or other specialist to make an appointment with our neuromuscular disorder team. We will need your referring provider to give us any previous test results and a list of past treatments. Your referring provider can call 801-585-7575 or complete an online referral.
Hear from Our Patients
Amanda Rush woke up one morning with an annoying twitch in one eye. Except this twitch didn't seem to go away. As time went on, the twitch turned into one that was impossible to hide. She had a condition called hemifacial spasm. Paralysis caused her to drool constantly, she spoke with a lisp, and she couldn't articulate her words. She started to withdraw from most of her life, spiraling into fear, anxiety, and self-loathing. After meeting with a neurologist, she was referred to a neurosurgeon who could effectively treat her condition with a minimally invasive procedure at U of U Health.