ON-LINE RESOURCE FOR MOVEMENT DISORDER PATIENTS

WE MOVE recently launched theAdult Movement Disorder Treatmentand Rehabilitation Directory—a one-of-a-kind on-line resource that providesa public health-access directoryof health care professionals in theUnited States. The directory includesneurologists and physiatrists whodiagnose and manage patients withmultiple movement disorders.

Movement disorders, which impact>40 million US adults and children,include Parkinson's disease; essentialtremor; tics and Tourette's syndrome;dystonia; tremor; and spasticity associatedwith stroke, cerebral palsy, multiplesclerosis, spinal cord injury, and traumaticbrain injury.The nonprofit organization

WE MOVE is dedicated to heighteningawareness of movement disorders andproviding patients and physicians withresources that are designed to enhancetreatment and quality of life. It is notuncommon for an individual living with amovement disorder to go undiagnosedor to be treated improperly."WE MOVE's Adult MovementDisorder Treatment and RehabilitationDirectory is an important step forwardfor all people living with movementdisorders," said Abbey S. Meyers, presidentof the National Organization ofRare Disorders. "The difficulty ofobtaining a proper diagnosis is oftencompounded by the inability of localpracticing physicians to determine thedifferences between movement disordersso they can be properly diagnosedand treated. Physicians whodiagnose and treat movement disorderscan tell the difference, and theyknow the implications of each disorderon the patient and family. Findingthese professionals is a major challenge,and the Treatment andRehabilitation Directory will simplifythat task for everyone."