Neuromuscular Disease Clinic

The Neuromuscular Disease Clinic is the official Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Diagnostic Clinic for the Sacramento area. The clinic offers care to adults and children with neuromuscular diseases including all of the muscular dystrophies, the myotonias, congenital myopathies, myositis, peroneal muscular atrophy, infantile and juvenile spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

ALS is a disorder of the motor neurons, nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control the action of voluntary muscles. In ALS, for unknown reasons, these nerve cells gradually die and as they die, the nerve fibers that travel from them to the muscles die. As a result, the muscles that normally receive signals from these nerve fibers can no longer function. Fortunately, many functions remain intact and continue throughout the course of ALS such as intellect and the ability to think and feel emotions. At UC Davis Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), our physicians and staff are prepared to help the ALS patient and their family throughout the course of ALS.

This multidisciplinary clinic is directed by a member of the PMR Department and staffed by PMR faculty with experience in these neuromuscular disorders. New diagnostic workups, including electrodiagnostic studies, molecular genetic studies, and pathologic evaluations are coordinated by PMR faculty and residents. Neurology, Orthopedic Surgery, Pulmonary, and Medical Genetics faculty are also available for consultation. The clinics include Adult Neuromuscular Disease, Child Neuromuscular Disease, ALS and Restrictive Lung Disease.

Services and Treatments Available

• Multidisciplinary diagnostic consultation and follow-up including genetic counseling
• Inpatient care for diagnostic evaluation or surgical procedures
• Physical and occupational therapy evaluations
• Psychological evaluation and social service consultations
• Prevocational evaluation
• Prescription of orthotic treatment
• Diagnostic procedures including laboratory tests, electrodiagnostic tests and muscle biopsy evaluation

Contact and Referral Information

Health care professionals who wish to refer a patient to the UC Davis Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic should call 800-4-UCDAVIS or 800-482-3284

Patients who would like more information about the clinic should call 916-734-7041.