​UPMC Nerve Disorder Center

The UPMC Nerve Disorder Center provides diagnosis and treatment for an array of nerve conditions. We provide comprehensive care that includes the most advanced treatments. Our experts are dedicated to helping patients with nerve disorders return to leading a normal and active life.

What Are Nerve Disorders?

Peripheral nerves connect the brain and spinal cord to muscles to stimulate movement. They also connect the brain and spinal cord to skin to allow you to feel pain and other sensations.

When we decide to move, the brain sends this information to the spinal cord. From there, the nerves carry the final message to the necessary muscles to make them contract. Similarly, when we touch an object, that information is carried from the skin to the spinal cord and then on to the brain so that we can make sense of that information.

Providing a Thorough Diagnosis

Peripheral nerve disorders are a common issue with many people and can cause impaired sensation, muscle weakness or wasting, and pain. However, nerve disorders can be difficult to diagnose. Various conditions can cause these symptoms, which can begin with mild weakness or numbness and tingling.

To begin, your UPMC nerve disorder expert will take a full medical history and perform a physical and neurologic exam that may include checking:

• Tendon reflexes
• Muscle strength and tone
• Ability to feel certain sensations
• Posture and coordination

In addition, your physician may request the following tests that can help with diagnosis:

• Electromyography: A test that measures the electrical discharges produced in your muscles.
• Nerve conduction study: A test that measures how quickly nerves carry electrical signals.
• Sudomotor test: A test that evaluates sweat patterns on your extremities.

Conditions We Treat

The experts at the UPMC Nerve Disorder Center are able to treat an array of nerve conditions, including:

• Brachial plexus injury
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cerebral palsy
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Injury to the axillary, musculocutaneous, radial, ulnar, and median nerves
• Migraine
• Nerve compression or entrapments
• Nerve tumors
• Parsonage-Turner syndrome
• Peroneal nerve neuropathy
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome
• Torticollis
• Upper and lower extremity spasticity

Advanced Treatment Options

Depending on your condition, our experts utilize the latest treatments available for nerve disorders, including:

• BOTOX^® injections
• Decompression of nerve entrapments
• Nerve reconstruction
• Removal of nerve tumors
• Nerve blocks
• Nerve injury repair
• Nerve transfer
• Tendon transfers
• Targeted muscle reinnervation

Our Experts