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Mission Statement

The mission of the 黑料网 pediatric neuromuscular clinic is to provide compassionate comprehensive multidisciplinary care to patients and their families effected by neuromuscular disorders.

Most children referred for a neuromuscular concern without a known diagnosis will first be seen in pediatric neuromuscular clinic. This clinic, under the direction of Nate Wooten, MD, provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, consultation, treatment and management of patients with a variety of neuromuscular disorders.

Some of the diseases treated in this clinic include:

Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a disease that affects the nerves that control our muscles. Imagine your brain sending messages to your muscles to move, like when you want to walk or pick something up. In people with SMA, the nerves in their spinal cord, which are like the message carriers, get damaged. This damage prevents the muscles from getting those important messages, so they become weak and start to shrink. This muscle weakness, called atrophy, can make everyday activities like sitting, crawling, or even breathing and swallowing very difficult. SMA is a genetic condition, meaning it’s caused by a problem with a person’s genes, and can be passed down from parents to their children.

Hereditary neuropathies are a group of conditions that run in families and affect the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, which are called the peripheral nerves. These nerves are like wires that carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body, telling your muscles to move and letting you feel sensations like touch, pain, and temperature. When someone has a hereditary neuropathy, these nerves don’t work correctly because of changes in their genes, which they inherit from their parents. Because of this, people with these conditions can experience things like numbness, tingling, pain, and muscle weakness, especially in their hands and feet. The problems can vary a lot, with some people having mild symptoms and others having more serious difficulties. There are different types of hereditary neuropathies, and each can cause slightly different symptoms. Essentially, these are inherited disorders that disrupt the communication lines of the body’s nervous system.

Myasthenia gravis, or MG, is a disease that causes muscle weakness. Normally, when you want to move a muscle, your brain sends a signal to that muscle. At the place where the nerve meets the muscle, there’s a kind of communication point. In people with MG, their body’s immune system, which usually fights off germs, mistakenly attacks these communication points. This attack blocks the signals from the nerves to the muscles, so the muscles don’t get the message to work properly. This leads to muscle weakness that gets worse with activity and improves with rest. Common symptoms include weakness in the eye muscles, which can cause drooping eyelids or double vision, and weakness in the face, arms, and legs. People with MG might also have trouble speaking, chewing, or swallowing. Basically, MG is a condition where the body’s defense system accidentally interferes with the signals that tell your muscles to move.

Congenital myasthenic syndromes, or CMS, are a group of rare muscle disorders that you inherit from your parents. Imagine your nerves sending messages to your muscles to make them move. In people with CMS, there’s a problem at the point where the nerve connects to the muscle, so the message doesn’t get through correctly. This communication problem causes muscle weakness, which gets worse when you try to use your muscles. This weakness can affect different muscles, like the ones that control your eyes, face, breathing, and arms and legs. Because this condition is present from birth or starts in early childhood, it can cause various levels of muscle weakness, from mild to severe.

Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic diseases that cause muscles to become weaker and weaker over time. Imagine your muscles as strong ropes that help you move. In people with muscular dystrophy, these ropes gradually break down. This happens because of problems with their genes, which are like instructions that tell the body how to build and maintain muscles. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a common and severe type, mostly affecting boys. In this type, the body can’t make a protein called dystrophin, which is essential for keeping muscles strong. As a result, muscles get damaged and weak, leading to problems with walking, running, and eventually, even breathing and heart function. So, muscular dystrophies are a group of inherited conditions that slowly weaken muscles, with Duchenne being a serious example of this progressive muscle damage.

Myotonic dystrophy is a type of muscular dystrophy that causes muscle weakness and a unique problem called myotonia. Myotonia means your muscles have trouble relaxing after you use them, so they stay contracted for longer than they should. Imagine trying to open your hand after gripping something, and it takes a few seconds longer than normal. Along with this delayed relaxation, myotonic dystrophy also causes progressive muscle weakness, similar to other muscular dystrophies. It can affect muscles throughout the body, including those in the face, neck, arms, and legs. People with myotonic dystrophy can also experience other symptoms, like cataracts, heart problems, and issues with thinking and personality. This condition is inherited, meaning it’s passed down through families, and it can affect people in different ways, with some experiencing milder symptoms and others having more severe problems. Essentially, myotonic dystrophy is a genetic disorder that not only weakens muscles but also makes them slow to relax, causing a range of other health issues.

Congenital myopathies are a group of muscle diseases that are present from birth or develop in early childhood. These diseases are caused by changes in genes that affect how muscles are formed and work. Unlike some other muscle diseases that get progressively worse, congenital myopathies can be stable or progress very slowly. The main symptom is muscle weakness, which can vary in severity. Some children might have mild weakness and learn to adapt, while others may have more significant difficulties with movement, breathing, or feeding. The specific symptoms and how the disease progresses depend on the particular type of congenital myopathy. Essentially, these are inherited muscle disorders that affect muscle function from a young age, leading to varying degrees of muscle weakness.


Neuromuscular patients seen at 黑料网 have access to evaluation through genetic testing with neurogenetics counseling, both sedated and non-sedated electrodiagnostic studies, neuromuscular ultrasound and muscle biopsy.

We have a comprehensive team ready to provide the care needed by our patients. This team includes:

  • Neurology
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Orthopaedics (orthopedic surgery)
  • Cardiology
  • Pulmonology
  • Endocrinology
  • Surgery
  • Genetic Counselors
  • Social Workers
  • Therapy Services

Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic Team

Pediatric Neurology

Genetic Counseling

Social Work

Patient Referral

For undiagnosed patients, referring providers should request the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic.听

  • Providers who have access to聽聽can submit a referral online. If you would like to enroll, click on the link and select 鈥淩equest an Account.鈥 You may wish to聽聽of the referral portal or view a聽聽on how to sign up.
  • If you don鈥檛 have a 黑料网 CareLink account, please fax a聽completed referral form,听including a specific referral question and records to (984) 974-5473.听Please call (984) 974-7337 if you have any questions.

For more information on the referral process, please visit the Referring Provider Resources page – Child Neurology Referral Information.

Referring Provider Resources for Child Neurology Referrals

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