Pediatric Movement Disorders Services

The Pediatric Movement Disorders Clinic at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health provides state-of-the-art treatment for children with neurologic conditions that cause patients to struggle to control their movements. Because of the complexity of these conditions, treatments often vary widely. A treatment plan will also often involve recommendations for medication as well as non-medication based interventions such as implementation of physical therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral counseling.

We also provide the following treatments:  

Botulinum toxin injections

The Movement Disorder Clinic is home to a team of experts with experience successfully using botulinum toxin injections to help manage the symptoms of some movement disorders.  Though botulinum toxin does not treat the root cause of these conditions, it can be used to improved the symptoms of dystonia, tics, spasticity and other disorders that involve overactive muscles. Botulinum toxin works by blocking a neurotransmitter that is at the root of the unwanted movement.

Once the family and the care team determine that botulinum toxin is part of the best treatment plan for your child, we would set up an appointment to perform the injection. The patient is able to go home on the day of the injection, and a follow-up appointment is scheduled to determine the efficacy of the treatment.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation is a groundbreaking emerging treatment for pediatric dystonia and some other pediatric movement disorders. With this treatment, the child undergoes a series of surgeries where a neurosurgeon implants a specialized electrode in a precise location in the movement control center of the brain. This device works to help normalize signaling in the movement control center of the brain. The implanted electrode is connected to a small computer that is implanted in the chest and controls signaling through the electrode. We are excited to begin offering this cutting-edge technology to those children who may benefit from the treatment.

Neurogenetics

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is home to the most advanced genetic screening technologies available, and our genetic counselors and neurogeneticists and neurologists work together to optimize testing and provide skilled interpretation of your child’s results. Neurogenetics at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, clinical management and genetic counseling for individuals with known or suspected genetic disorders. For children with movement disorders, identifying whether there is an underlying genetic cause can be one of the first steps in developing the most effective treatment plan possible.