Involuntary movement disorders were once primarily confined to the elderly. At a family gathering, it was not uncommon to see the elderly lady with a head shake or the stooped gentleman with tremors and shuffling movements. Today people of all ages are suffering from movement disorders. Toxicity caused by heavy metal poisoning, recreational drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, vaccinations, environmental pollution, processed foods (including genetically engineered foods), and many other possible causes are thought to be responsible for the alarming rise in movement disorders. There are also genetic causes such as Huntington's Disease. Michael J. Fox is probably the most well known younger person who struggles with the most well known movement disorder - Parkinson's Disease. Movement disorders are now also occurring in children. Tourette's Syndrome, which was unheard of 50 years ago, is now a household word.
There are some normal involuntary movements, which are not due to pathology, called Synkinesias. An example is benign fasciculations--those little muscle twitches one gets after rigorous exercise.
Parkinson's (resting tremor, slowness, and rigidity), Tics or Tourette's (super quick, stereotyped movements of face, tongue, and upper limbs), Tremors (rhythmic oscillations of one body part), Athetosis (wormlike movements), Chorea (fairly quick, random "fidgeting"), Hemiballismus (wild flailing), and Dystonias (slow alternating contraction, and relaxation of muscles) are some of the technical names of movement disorders. The primary site of damage is in an area deep in the cerebral hemispheres called the Basal Ganglia (B.G.), which consists of multiple functionally unique nuclei. The B.G. is the motor area related to emotion, motivation, and survival (the limbic system). The primary input nucleus of the B.G. is the Striatum . Once information arrives at the Striatum, it is sent to the intermediate nuclei where some have excitatory and some inhibitory functions.
The mechanism of B.G. function can be compared to driving a car - there is acceleration (excitatory nuclei) and braking (inhibitory nuclei). When there is damage to the acceleration system, there will be too little or hypokinetic movement (Parkinon's, drug induced neuroleptics). When there is damage to the braking system, there will be too much or hyperkinetic movement (Hemiballismus, Tourettes, Huntington' Disease ) There is a delicate balance between these simultaneously acting accelerating and braking systems which control gross motor movements.
There are many neurotransmitters, both excitatory and inhibitory, affecting the B.G. Dopamine is most well known of these and is the main excitatory neurotransmitter for both the direct and indirect pathways. Lack of dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter problem in Parkinson's Disease. Virtually all brain function including sensory, motor, visual, auditory, and cognitive function is "gaited" through the B.G. in one form or another, and interference will consequently have effects that can range from subtle to catastrophic. The motor loops of the B.G. regulate upper motor neurons which are responsible for initiation of movement. The non-motor loops are responsible for executive, limbic (emotional), and ocular functions which are especially affected by damage the B.G.
At all ages, it is important to diagnose a movement disorder in the early stages, preferably before symptoms appear. This is especially true for the "old age" movement disorders such as Parkinson's. Typically, B.G. demise will exist for at least 10 years before the first symptoms appear. When the condition is caught early, the chiropractic neurologist can spot functional demise before it becomes pathological. If it is caught in time, the chiropractic neurologist can diagnose the movement disorder before it becomes symptomatic.
Summary: Neurotransmitter balance is necessary to maintain proper function of the B.G. Cortical activation stimulates the production of neurotransmitters. Without proper cortical function, neurotransmitters will not be produced appropriately. The greatest contribution to cortical function is through sensory feedback from joint mechanoreceptor and muscle spindle activation. The chiropractic neurologist utilizes manipulation of joints and muscle spindles as well as sensory stimulation through visual, auditory, cognitive and olfaction to powerfully increase cortical function. In addition, nutritional supplementation is recommended to help achieve neurotransmitter balance with the use of drugs or surgery.
Supportive Therapy
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