Expert care for children with neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy or neuropathy
Children with neuromuscular disorders receive comprehensive care from our expert neuromuscular team, part of the neurology program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
What are neuromuscular disorders?
Neuromuscular disorders affect the nerves and muscles in the body and how the muscles work. There are many different types of neuromuscular disorders. Depending on the condition, it may affect the nerves controlling the muscles, the muscles themselves, or the way the nerves and muscles communicate with each other. Neuromuscular disorders typically cause muscle weakness, and most are present at birth.
Conditions We Treat Include:
- Amyloid neuropathy
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/Motor neuron disease
- Brachial plexus injury
- Channelopathies (Channel disorders)
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease
- Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy
- Congenital myasthenic syndromes
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Guillain-Barre and CIDP
- HIV neuropathy
- Idiopathic polyneuropathy
- Muscular dystrophy (Duchenne, FSHD, Limb-Girdle, myotonic dystrophy)
- Myasthenia gravis/Neuromuscular junction disorders
- Myositis/Dermatomyositis
- Nerve injury (Carpal Tunnel syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, Ulnar neuropathy)
- Paraneoplastic neuropathy
- Peripheral neuropathy (inherited, chemotherapy-induced)
- Small fiber sensory neuropathy
- Vasculitic neuropathy
How are neuromuscular disorders diagnosed?
Neuromuscular disorders may be diagnosed using several different kinds of testing, depending on your child’s needs. This may include:
- Clinical evaluation including detailed muscle strength examination
- Blood test to check for high levels of muscle enzymes
- Nerve conduction studies (a measure of how quickly an electrical impulse moves through a nerve, which can identify nerve damage)
- Electromyography, or EMG (a recording of muscle tissue’s electroactivity)
- Repetitive Nerve Stimulation test
- Genetic testing
- Muscle biopsy
- Nerve biopsy
- Skin biopsy
How do we treat neuromuscular disorders?
Accurately diagnosing neuromuscular disorders can be difficult. Our team has the experience and expertise to ensure your child receives an accurate diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment to meet their unique needs.
We offer cutting-edge therapies, providing our patients with specialized care that meets their individual needs. Treatments we provide may include symptomatic treatment, surgical treatment, gene therapy, or other therapies such as antibody infusions.
We also provide surgical repair for nerve injury, working with our expert neurosurgery team to fix nerves after they are damaged.
Children with neuromuscular disorders often need care from other specialists. We work closely with specialists throughout the hospital to provide your child with multidisciplinary care. This may include pulmonology, cardiology, genetics, orthopedics, rehabilitation services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology and nutrition.
Location
We see patients in the following locations:
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care Center
601 5th St. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care, East Lake
3850 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Contact Us
For more information or to make an appointment, please give us a call at the number below. We serve families in the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond.