Neuromuscular Disorders & Neurophysiology
The focus of our work is disorders of muscle, the neuromuscular junction, and peripheral nerve. For all patients and their families we provide thorough evaluations by neurologists, physiatrists, and genetic counselors. We also call upon our colleagues in other specialties, for example, pulmonology and cardiology, to supplement our evaluations. Many neuromuscular disorders are genetically determined; there are a small but enlarging number of hereditary conditions for which we have specific genetic tests. Genetic counseling provides information that enables patients and their relatives to understand the likelihood of an individual's having a disorder or having a child with the disorder.
After achieving accurate diagnosis, we provide treatment. For some conditions treatment has little influence on the course of the disease, but even in those conditions our practical advice and emotional support improve the patient's coping. For other conditions, treatment means the difference between serious disability and productive living.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association supports our work with a small grant used primarily for patient services and with services of a coordinator of patient care. The coordinator organizes group meetings in the community where patients with common problems can discuss them. Western New Yorkers have been generous supporters of the MDA's annual fund-raising telethon, and the MDA has been dedicated in providing service in our community.
