USF Health ALS Clinic Helps Patients Through Highly Choreographed Appointments
Muscle weakness is one of the key symptoms in the early detection and diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders, but there are other
symptoms, like double vision, challenges with breathing and speech, trouble
swallowing, and muscle twitching that you might not connect with neuromuscular
concerns. Patients experience these symptoms when nerve cells (motor neurons) become unhealthy and the nervous system is no longer able to communicate with our muscles.
As an academic medical center, USF Health has the board certified physicians and advanced diagnostic techniques to diagnose patients with nerve and muscle diseases at all levels of complexity. We provide patients access to electromyography and nerve conduction studies (EMG and NCS), a complex test critical to making an accurate neuromuscular disorder diagnosis. On the cutting edge of diagnostic technology, our facilities are also designed with patient comfort and convenience in mind.
We care for patients with these Neuromuscular Conditions:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Primary lateral sclerosis
- Progressive muscular atrophy
- Spinal bulbar muscular atrophy
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Charcot-Marie Tooch disease
- Myasthenia gravis
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- Plexopathy
- Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN)
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Entrapment neuropathies
- Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
- Polymyositis
- Dermatomyositis
- Inclusion-body myositis
- Muscular dystropies
We provide patients with these treatment options for Neuromuscular conditions:
- Radiculopathy
- Botox
- Electromyography (EMG)
- Single fiber EMG
- EMG-guided Botox
- Lumbar punctures
- Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment – gamma globulin (IVIG)
- Skin and muscle biopsies
USF Health ALS Clinic
USF Health is home to this region’s flagship ALS Center, offering patients and their families a multidisciplinary care team that puts ALS patients at the center of care, helping them to better manage their symptoms. Our devoted neurologists, occupational and physical therapists, speech pathologists, dieticians, respiratory therapists, and social workers, come together to provide patients with targeted, integrated care. Pulmonologists, gastroenterologists and psychiatrists are also available for consultation, as needed. Patients, their families and caregivers seen at the ALS Clinic have the opportunity to meet with all members of the ALS care team – all in one carefully coordinated visit.
Research and Clinical Trials
Click on Neurology Clinical Research to learn more about clinical trials and how to enroll.
The USF Health Department of Neurology is conducting clinical trails for the following:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Ataxia & Movement Disorders
- Huntington’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuromuscular Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Stroke
- Epilepsy
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