Encouraging Facts About Your Ataxia Diagnosis

Maybe you first noticed something was wrong when you couldn’t hold your balance. You may have fallen. You might have discovered that your walking stride turned into something that more resembled a stumble.

So when you get a diagnosis of ataxia, it’s something of a relief — at least you have a name for your clumsiness and lack of coordination. But once you get your diagnosis, what are you supposed to do about it?

At Advanced Medical Care in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, our expert providers specialize in treating movement disorders such as ataxia. We help you understand your condition and find ways to improve your coordination and balance.

Have you been diagnosed with ataxia? Following are some encouraging facts about this disorder.

Your ataxia is likely caused by an underlying condition

Most types of ataxia are the result of another underlying disorder that we can treat to improve your movement problems. It’s rare that you’d be diagnosed with hereditary ataxia or with sporadic ataxia, which isn’t influenced by genetics.

If your ataxia is a symptom, rather than a disorder on its own, you probably have an underlying condition that has caused it. Conditions that have ataxia as a symptom include:

• Hypothyroidism
• Vitamin deficiencies, such as low vitamin B12
• Celiac disease
• Stroke
• Multiple sclerosis
• Tumors
• Alcoholism
• Nerve damage
• Metabolic disorders
• Immune system problems that attack the brain
• Brain infections

Generally, treating the underlying disease or condition helps alleviate the ataxia, too.

There are many ways to address what’s behind ataxia

If you have an underlying condition causing your ataxia, such as a stroke, our team works to help rehabilitate you and restore your movement to as close to normal as possible. Similarly, if you have vitamin or nutritional deficiencies, we design a diet and supplement regimen to compensate. We offer a variety of IV therapies to promote wellness.

If you’re under a lot of stress in your life, especially if you haven’t been sleeping well, ataxia may be a symptom. If you’ve tried to self-medicate with alcohol, that could make the ataxia worse or bring it on in the first place.

If your ataxia is caused by lifestyle choices, including substance abuse, our team refers you to a specialist who can help you break an addiction. We may also recommend dietary adjustments as well as lifestyle changes to help you deal with stress, including a whole-foods diet, plenty of exercise, and deep breathing or meditation exercises.

Being overweight or obese is associated with many serious health conditions — including heart attack and stroke. But it can also contribute to ataxia. We can refer you to a medically supervised weight-loss program. We may also refer you to a physical therapist to help you build strength and flexibility.

No matter what the cause, ataxia can improve

With the help of our neurology team and physical therapists, we can help you regain control over your movements and speech. With a customized ataxia treatment plan — including at-home exercises — you can improve your function and the quality of your life so you can do the things you love again.

Have you been diagnosed with ataxia? Reach out to our neurologists today for an evaluation and to get started on a treatment plan. You can call us or book an appointment online.