Parkinson’s & Tremors Program
Wellstar offers world-class, comprehensive care for Parkinson's, tremors and other movement disorders, including minimally invasive brain surgery. Our aim is to help you regain movement, manage symptoms and get back to doing what you love. Wellstar is one of only a small number of health systems in Georgia to offer this level of care for Parkinson’s and tremors.
Movement Disorder Care
The Parkinson’s and Tremors Program at Wellstar provides expert, specialized care for people with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and dystonia. The comprehensive programs are based at Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar MCG Health and Wellstar North Fulton Medical Centers. Wellstar is one of only a few hospitals in Georgia to offer brain surgery procedures like deep brain stimulation, which implants electrodes in the brain to treat certain neurological conditions. These procedures are offered at Wellstar Kennestone in Marietta and Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta.
Some people with movement disorders may qualify for functional neurosurgery. The neuro care team at Wellstar will help determine if you’re a candidate for surgery. With advanced treatments and a direct pathway to determining if you are a surgical candidate, you can regain movement, manage your symptoms and get back to doing what you love.
Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta is one of around 40 U.S.-based prestigious comprehensive Parkinson's Disease Centers of Excellence designated by the Parkinson’s Foundation. This means we meet rigorous standards and have a specialized team who are up to date on the latest Parkinson’s medications, therapies and research to provide the best care.
Some people with movement disorders may qualify for functional neurosurgery. The neuro care team at Wellstar will help determine if you’re a candidate for surgery. With advanced treatments and a direct pathway to determining if you are a surgical candidate, you can regain movement, manage your symptoms and get back to doing what you love.
Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta is one of around 40 U.S.-based prestigious comprehensive Parkinson's Disease Centers of Excellence designated by the Parkinson’s Foundation. This means we meet rigorous standards and have a specialized team who are up to date on the latest Parkinson’s medications, therapies and research to provide the best care.
Highly skilled movement disorders care team
What makes the Wellstar program unique is that patients benefit from having holistic care from a team of people including neurologists with a fellowship in movement disorders, functional neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, nurse navigators or neuroscience nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists—all with special training and experience in working with people with Parkinson’s, tremors and related conditions.Surgery & streamlined eligibility determination path
There are only a few functional neurosurgeons offering deep brain stimulation and other types of movement disorder surgery in the Southeast—patients can visit these hard-to-find specialists at Wellstar. These procedures are performed at Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar MCG Health. Our program offers a streamlined pathway to determine if a patient is a candidate. Schedule an appointment with one of our movement disorder specialists to learn more.
Movement disorders we treat
The qualified neurology team at Wellstar can diagnose a variety of movement disorders. Once this initial stage is complete, we’ll work with you to create a management plan that helps alleviate symptoms. We offer care for:
- Ataxia
- Atypical parkinsonism
- Corticobasal syndrome
- Dystonia
- Dystonic tremor
- Essential tremor
- Huntington's disease
- Hyperkinetic movement disorders
- Multiple system atrophy (MSA)
- Myoclonus
- Parkinson's disease
- Progressive supranuclear palsy
- Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
- Tardive dyskinesia
- Tic disorder
- Tremor
Diagnosing Parkinson's & movement disorders
If you experience any common movement disorder symptoms, consult with a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders to help you get diagnosed. During your evaluation, your doctor will look at your medical history and may decide to run some additional tests.Treating Parkinson's & movement disorders
People with movement disorders require specialized expertise, careful diagnosis and the right management so they can maintain the best possible quality of life. Our knowledgeable and compassionate neurologists who are specialists in movement disorders are experts in caring for people with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, your movement disorder specialist will share care options to manage your symptoms. With the right treatment strategy, it may even be possible to regain lost function. We work with you to create a personalized care plan that may include:- Medication
- Botulinum toxin injections (Botox)
- Surgery like deep brain stimulation
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy
Brain surgery & streamlined eligibility determination path
There are only a few functional neurosurgeons offering deep brain stimulation and other types of movement disorder surgery in the Southeast—and patients can visit these hard-to-find specialists at Wellstar. These procedures are performed at Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar MCG Health. Our program offers a streamlined pathway to determine if a patient is a candidate. Schedule an appointment with one of our movement disorder specialists to learn more.Clinical trials
Through Wellstar’s exclusive partnership with Medical College of Georgia, we offer access to the latest treatments and clinical trials. Our team of experts and research scientists at Medical College of Georgia continue to advance care through research and discovery. When available, we offer patients access to the latest clinical trials for movement disorders at Wellstar MCG Health.Movement disorder support
Our multidisciplinary teams go above and beyond to assist people with Parkinson’s, tremors and other movement disorders at every stage. Wellstar patients benefit from having comprehensive care from a team of movement disorder experts. Your team is selected depending on your personalized care plan and treatment location.Support team members
- Neurologist with additional training in movement disorders
- Functional neurosurgeon
- Movement disorders nurse navigator or neuroscience nurse
- Neuropsychologist
- Physical, occupational or speech therapist
How your nurse can help
Your nurse navigator or neuroscience nurse is an important part of your movement disorders care team. They are here to help you navigate through your diagnosis and treatment, and can help you with:
- Scheduling appointments
- Getting answers to your questions
- Teaching you about your diagnosis, condition and treatment, such as device use
- Helping you complete needed steps through the pathway to surgery and adhere to your care plan
- Advocating for you
- Helping you connect with various community resources