The Movement Disorders Center at NNA is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Our specialized team of neurologists and advanced practice nurses work together to develop a customized treatment plan based on the individual needs of each patient. There are a variety of treatment options for movement disorders, including medications, surgery and therapy. Our goal is to properly diagnose the condition as early as possible, discuss, implement and follow through on a treatment plan, and help patients maintain a productive and functional life.
Medical Director – Hugh J. Miller, MD.
Neurologists – Dr. Miller leads our team of neurologists in performing initial neurological evaluations and follow-up care to patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. They collaborate with other medical staff and specialists to provide the most advanced care available for patients. Treatment options are discussed and implemented after careful examination and discussion with each patient.
Neuropsychologists – available to perform neuropsychological testing, cognitive assessments, and counseling for patients with neurological conditions.
Advanced Practice Nurses – work in collaboration with the physicians to care for patients
Advanced MRI – on site MRI testing available as needed for initial diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of the disease process, if needed.
Medication management – There are a variety of medications available to manage movement disorders diseases, and our physicians will make those recommendations based on individual patient’s needs. Early diagnosis and medication initiation is an important step to minimize the long term effects of the disease.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Surgery – Our physicians and staff will help patients evaluate their eligibility for DBS surgery, and discuss whether this is a treatment option they want to consider. If so, we will coordinate the referral for surgery and collaborate with the other specialists for post surgical care.
Lifestyle modifications and social services – Our staff will work with each patient to identify things they can do in their daily lives to help minimize the effects of their disease. They will also assist patients in identifying community resources that may be available and helpful to them.
Coordination of other specialized services – We have relationships with other specialty and physical therapy providers in the community that we will coordinate for patients as needed.
Parkinson's disease
A neurodegenerative disease, meaning it is caused by degeneration (dysfunction and death) of neurons within the brain. PD causes motor (movement) and non-motor symptoms. The likelihood of developing PD increases with age. PD typically begins in a person's 50s or 60s, and slowly progresses with increasing age. The average age of onset is 62.4 years. Onset before age 30 is rare, but up to 10% of cases begin by age 40. While no treatments have yet been shown conclusively to slow the disease, a large number of drugs are available to treat symptoms, as well as several forms of surgery and numerous nonpharmacological (non-drug) approaches.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
Symptoms typically begin on one side of the body (unilateral) and progress to include both sides. (Not all people with PD develop all these symptoms.)
Motor Symptoms
Nonmotor Symptoms
Helpful Websites:
Essential Tremor
Essential tremor (ET) is considered the most common neurologic movement disorder. It may affect as many as 10 million people in the United States and be 20 times more prevalent than Parkinson's disease. ET is a chronic condition characterized by involuntary, rhythmic tremor of a body part, most typically the hands and arms. In most patients, ET is considered a slowly progressive disorder and, in some patients, may eventually involve the head, voice, tongue (with associated dysarthria), legs, and trunk. However, in many people, the disease may be relatively non-progressive and the tremor may be mild throughout life.
Most people with essential tremor benefit from drug therapy. Early appropriate treatment may delay or eliminate functional disability. A surgical approach to treatment may be suggested for people with severe ET symptoms or those whose symptoms have not responded to the maximum acceptable dosages of medication used to treat the disease. The physician, patient, family members, and caregivers must work together to weigh the possible risks versus the potential benefits of a surgical approach to treatment.