Applications for Treatment of Neurological Disorders

Common symptoms of neurological disorders, or disorders of the nervous system, include lack of coordination, poor balance and trouble communicating. Treatments for neurological disorders work to minimize these symptoms. Treatment for nervous system disorders comes in many forms, such as therapy, medication and surgery.

Significance

• Nervous system disorders can threaten a person’s independence, which can lead to depression. Treatments for neurological disorders increase a person’s ability to be independent, reducing the risk of depression.

Physical Therapy

• Physical therapy (PT) focuses on improving muscle strength, balance and coordination. PT may require a prescription from your doctor.

Speech Therapy

• Speech therapy can help a person with a nervous system disorder to better communicate. Speech therapy can also help people with neurological disorders that have trouble chewing or swallowing food.

Medication

• A lack of dopamine in the brain can cause neurological disorders. Prescription medication that increases dopamine production, like cardidopa and selegiline, can be beneficial in treating nervous system disorders.

Surgery

• In surgery, doctors destroy brain tissue of the affected part of the brain. Surgery, however, is no longer a common treatment method due to the number of medications that can effectively treat neurological disorders.

Considerations

• Treatments for neurological disorders depend on which neurological disorder a person has. Examples of neurological disorders include cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy and Behcet’s disease.