Nervous System

Tremors are involuntary, shaking movements of any part of the body. It usually affects the hands, lower arms and head. Tremors may occur at any age but more commonly affect the elderly. Tremors are often a sign of a neurological disorder such as Parkinson’s but may also result from emotional stress.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by involuntary, repetitive muscle contractions. This disorder can affect any part of the body such as the limbs, neck, trunk, eyelids, facial muscles and vocal cords.

Multiple sclerosis or MS is a condition that affects the nerves in the brain, spinal cord and other parts of the central nervous system. The cause is thought to be due to an abnormality in the functioning of the immune system but the exact mechanism is still uncertain. It is a chronic, progressive disease, and as yet, there is no cure.

Neuritis is a condition of the nervous system and is characterized by an inflamed nerve or group of nerves. There are two types of neuritis, optic neuritis and peripheral neuritis.

Neuralgia is a disorder which results in severe, spasmodic pain along a nerve or group of nerves. The pain is often described as sharp and shooting, and in more severe cases, neuralgia is so debilitating and agonizing that it affects the
quality of a person’s life. It may affect anyone, but older people tend to be more susceptible to it.

The nervous system forms part of a complex electrochemical process that acts as the body control center and communications center. It is responsible for sending, receiving and processing nerve impulses throughout the body as well as regulating and maintaining homeostasis. It coordinates muscle activity, thought, learning, memory, speech, the senses and emotion. The nervous system relies on billions of tiny nerve cells called neurons to function. Neurons carry information by sending electrochemical impulses through the nerves to other muscles and organs.

Fibromyalgia is a mysterious chronic disease that produces severe pain throughout the body along with exhaustion, sleep problems, depression and anxiety. Not much is known about Fibromyalgia even today. It is estimated 2 to 4
percent of the population suffer from Fibromyalgia. For reasons not yet established it affects women at an alarmingly higher rate then it does men. It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia are women.

A seizure is a condition that occurs when the electrical system of the brain malfunctions. When the brain functions normally, a multitude of tiny electrical signals are produced by the nerve cells of the brain and other parts of the body.
With a seizure there is a short, temporary disturbance within the electrical system of the brain – like when a power outage occurs and the electricity switches off.

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that causes excessive sleepiness without warning and at inappropriate times. When a person has Narcolepsy, the brain is unable to regulate the sleep-wake cycles normally. Numerous factors contribute to sleep disturbances and neurological dysfunction. As a result, both daytime and night-time sleep attacks occur.

With Tourette’s Syndrome, which usually starts in childhood, individuals feel an irresistible urge to make sounds and body movements that are beyond their control. These uncontrollable movements and sounds are called tics.

Tic disorders cause rapid, uncontrollable movements or sounds that a person makes for no apparent reason. They are involuntary actions and often tend to happen in sudden bouts. Usually occurring on a daily basis, tics are almost always an unwelcome experience for the sufferer.

Parkinson's is associated with tremors of the arms and legs, rigidity of the muscles, poor balance, slow movement (bradykinesia) and difficulty walking, the most well known characteristic. It occurs as a result of the degeneration of nerve health in which nerve cells producing a chemical called dopamine in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus areas of the brain.

Bell’s Palsy is a neurological disorder that causes the facial muscles on one side of the face to suddenly weaken or become paralyzed. The muscles that close the eye control the tear glands, as well as control one of the salivary
glands and the taste buds in front of the tongue are all controlled by the facial
nerve. When damage or trauma is caused to the facial nerve, it usually only affects one side of the face.