What Are Spasticity and Movement Disorder Services?
Our team offers comprehensive care for children with movement disorders and spasticity, a condition that causes involuntary muscle tightness and spasms.
UPMC spasticity and movement disorder experts:
- Diagnose all types of movement disorders.
- Develop a personalized treatment plan for your child.
- Manage, coordinate, and optimize your child’s ongoing care.
- Meet each child's rehabilitation needs.
- Offer medical and surgical treatment options.
What conditions do you treat?
The spasticity and movement disorders team cares for the whole child — not just the disorder. We carefully coordinate surgical and medical treatments with various rehabilitative and supportive services to address all of your child’s clinical needs.
Conditions we treat include:
- Ataxia — The inability to control movement.
- Chorea — Rapid, jerky, sudden movements of the limbs or face.
- Dystonia — Writhing or twisting movements caused by involuntary muscle contractions.
- Myoclonus — Sudden, shock-like twitching of muscles without a rhythm or pattern.
- Spasticity — Increased muscle tone or stiffness that results in uncontrolled, awkward movements.
- Tremor — Involuntary trembling movements.
Who’s eligible for spasticity and movement disorder services?
From diagnosis and treatment to lifelong management, our experts care for infants, children, and teens with spasticity and movement disorders.
What Spasticity and Movement Disorder Services Do You Offer?
Diagnostic services
We offer diagnostic tests for spasticity and movement disorders, including:
- CT scan — Creates images of your child’s brain and other structures to check for damaged or abnormal areas.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) — Checks for abnormal electrical signals in your child’s brain.
- Electromyography (EMG) — Sometimes called an electromyogram, an EMG allows a doctor to record and study the electrical activity of your child’s muscles.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — Creates images of your child’s brain or spine to look for damaged or abnormal areas.
- Nerve conduction study (NCS) — An NCS measures the speed of electrical activity passing through your child’s nerves.
- Neurological examination — A noninvasive test to check your child’s reflexes, balance, movement, memory, and ability to think.
Rehabilitation services
Our team offers rehabilitation services to improve function and quality of life in children with movement disorders and spasticity, including:
- Occupational therapy — Focuses on using assistive devices, strategies, and problem-solving skills to maximize independence when performing everyday self-care tasks.
- Physiatry care — Creates a comprehensive treatment plan to improve your child’s overall functioning and mobility.
- Physical therapy — Improves balance, coordination, strength, and flexibility to enhance safety and mobility.
- Speech, language, and swallowing therapy — Improves your child’s ability to communicate and swallow after brain surgery.
Medication
Your child’s doctor may prescribe medications to ease symptoms, improve comfort, or reduce the risk of complications.
Medications include:
- Anticholinergic medications to treat tremors and stiffness.
- Antiseizure medications.
- Beta-blockers to reduce tremors.
- Botulinum toxin (BOTOX) to treat dystonia and spasms.
- Muscle relaxants.
- Pain medication.
Surgical services
UPMC pediatric neurosurgeons are international leaders in performing surgical procedures to treat movement disorders and spasticity in children, including:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) — A procedure used to treat seizures, dystonia, and tremors. It involves accurately placing electrodes, called leads, that deliver electrical impulses to specific areas of your child’s brain. These leads are connected to a battery-powered pulse generator implanted under the skin near your child’s collarbone.
- Intrathecal baclofen therapy — An intrathecal pump — sometimes called a "pain pump" — is implanted under the skin in your child’s abdomen and delivers small quantities of a medication called baclofen directly into your child’s spinal fluid. Baclofen is used to manage spasticity symptoms.
- Selectivedorsal rhizotomy (SDR) — A procedure to treat spasticity and dystonia that involves cutting sensory nerve fibers in your child’s spinal cord to weaken the overactive reflexes that cause muscle tightening.
Clinical trials
Research is integral to spasticity and movement disorder care at UPMC. Due to the success of clinical investigations, such as those involving intrathecal baclofen therapy and deep brain stimulation, many children with movement disorders have experienced dramatic improvements in their quality of life.
In addition to treating children, most of our staff members participate in ongoing research projects and clinical trials.
What Can I Expect From Spasticity and Movement Disorder Services?
When your child comes to UPMC Children's for spasticity and movement disorder care, they will receive personalized, multidisciplinary treatment from some of the nation’s leading experts.
During your first visit, you and your child will meet with members of our team for a comprehensive evaluation that may include:
- A review of your child’s health history and medical records.
- Diagnostic testing.
- Developmental, psychological, and social assessments.
- Physical, neurological, and neuropsychological exams.
Using this information, our multidisciplinary team will meet to discuss treatment options for your child’s movement disorder and spasticity. With input from your family, our team will recommend a personalized treatment plan tailored to your child’s condition and needs.
Does My Child Need a Referral For Spasticity and Movement Disorder Services?
We require a physician referral from your primary care physician or another UPMC Children's specialist. Check with your health insurance company to see if an insurance referral is required.
All necessary referral and authorization forms must be received before your child’s visit. For accurate provider numbers or more information, please call the Spasticity and Movement Disorder Clinic at 412-692-5090.
Your child’s spasticity and movement disorder care team
Our multidisciplinary team collaborates to develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your child’s short- and long-term treatment goals.
Our team of specialists includes:
