Neuromuscular Disorders
Compassionate Care for Neuromuscular Disorders
The neuromuscular disorders team at Lahey Clinic provides advanced care for conditions affecting the nerves and muscles. Nerves and muscles work together to control how we move, feel sensations and maintain balance. When these systems do not work properly, patients may notice problems with feeling, muscle strength, walking, balance, breathing or swallowing.
Because of these changes, patients may have difficulty with daily activities. In more serious cases, people may lose the ability to do basic tasks such as walking, using their hands, speaking clearly or swallowing safely.
Our neuromuscular team includes experienced neurologists and other healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing high quality, compassionate care. We begin with a careful medical history and physical examination and order any testing needed to better understand the problem.
Once a diagnosis is made, our specialists work closely with patients to create a personalized treatment plan. Treatment may include medications, physical or occupational therapy, speech therapy, or referral to other specialists when needed.
In addition to caring for patients, our team is actively involved in teaching medical students, neurology residents and fellows. We also participate in clinical research studies and clinical trials so that our patients may have access to new and emerging treatments.
Conditions We Treat
We treat the full range of neuromuscular conditions, including:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
- Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN)
- Muscle diseases (myopathies)
- Myasthenia gravis (MG)
- Neuropathy associated with amyloidosis
- Neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus
- Small-fiber neuropathy
Testing We Offer
We utilize multiple types of testing procedures to diagnose and treat neuromuscular disease, including:
- EMG (nerve conduction study/electromyography), a diagnostic test that evaluates how well nerves and muscles are working together.
- Single fiber EMG (SF EMG), a specialized form of EMG testing used mainly in patients suspected of having myasthenia gravis.
- Autonomic testing, assesses the part of the nervous system that controls automatic body functions, such as blood pressure, heart rate and sweating.
- Skin biopsy, a simple outpatient procedure in which a very small area of skin is removed and examined to help diagnose small fiber neuropathy.
- Nerve biopsy, evaluation of a piece of nerve to help diagnose a nerve disorder.
- Muscle biopsy, evaluation of muscle tissue to help diagnosis muscle diseases.
- Neuromuscular ultrasound (NMUS), an imaging test used to look at nerves and muscles and check for conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment or nerve injury.
- Botulinum toxin (Botox) injections, procedure that helps reduce muscle stiffness and tightness, especially for patients with multiple sclerosis or stroke
Education and Training
Our neuromuscular team is closely involved in the education of medical students and neurology residents. Teaching and mentorship are an important part of our mission.
We offer a one year, ACGME-accredited fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and EMG. This fellowship is a joint program between Lahey and Boston Children’s Hospital, teaching institutions affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.
The program focuses on training future specialists in neuromuscular disease and EMG for both adult and pediatric patients. Additional training opportunities are available in EEG, evoked potentials, autonomic testing and chemodenervation. Completion of the program provides eligibility to sit for board examinations in clinical neurophysiology and EMG.
Applicants must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency in adult or child neurology or an equivalent program. The application process includes a personal interview and three letters of recommendation. Interviews are typically held in the spring, approximately 15 months before the start of the fellowship year.
Please contact us if you would like to learn more about the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship.
Meet the Team
