Ataxia

Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements. Ataxia is a non-specific clinical manifestation implying dysfunction of the parts of the nervous system that coordinate movement, specifically the cerebellum, our central balance controller. Several possible causes exist for these patterns of neurological dysfunction.

Neurophysiotherapy requires a focus on adapting activity and facilitating motor learning for retraining specific functional motor patterns. The most commonly used physiotherapy interventions for Cerebellar Ataxia are Vestibular habituation, core stabilisation exercises, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF), and balance retraining; however, therapy is often highly individualised and gait and coordination training are large components of specific neurophysiotherapy treatments.