Ataxia, which means “without coordination,” is a medical condition where people lose all coordination of their arms, legs, and muscles. It is a common side effect of overdrinking or using drugs, but it can also happen as a result of a stroke or another medical condition that affects your muscles. Because ataxia can be a standalone condition or be a side effect of numerous other conditions, it is important to determine the root cause in order to treat it properly.
Depending on the cause, it is sometimes possible to reverse the effects of ataxia if you start treatment in time. It is also possible that the effects will wear off naturally, as is the case with drinking and drug use. While ataxia primarily affects the arms, hands, and legs, it can affect any muscle in your body controlled by the brain, including your eyes, speech, and ability to swallow.
Ataxia can happen for a wide range of reasons. If your ataxia is the cause of substance abuse or alcohol misuse, your care provider will likely recommend the “wait and see” treatment. Ataxia that stems from these reasons usually resolves once the effects of the drugs or alcohol wear off, and no treatment is necessary.
If your ataxia is not because of drugs or alcohol, it will not go away until you cure the underlying condition. To do this, your doctor will likely run a series of tests and perform a thorough physical to determine what is going on. Once they know your underlying condition, they can start a treatment plan to cure it, at which point your ataxia should also resolve.
In situations where your ataxia does not immediately resolve, you will likely require physical therapy to regain control and coordination of your muscles. Physical therapy can help you relearn how to move your arms, legs, and other muscles. This type of therapy is also helpful for regaining balance so that you can move freely on your own, and without assistive devices.
Because ataxia can also affect your ability to speak and swallow, you may require speech therapy. As with physical therapy, speech therapy teaches you how to relearn how to speak and swallow. By exercising the muscles responsible for these actions, they become stronger, and you may eventually fully return to your former self.
In some cases, even if you know the underlying cause of your ataxia, there is no way to resolve it completely. Certain types of strokes and heart attacks, for example, can cause permanent balance and coordination deficits. Therefore, while physical and speech therapy can help to a certain extent, you may need assistive devices to be able to move and live on your own safely.
Assistive devices can include wheelchairs, walkers, walking sticks, crutches, modified eating utensils, and more. Your speech and physical therapists can teach you how to use these devices safely and efficiently.
In rare instances, ataxia can result from a supplement or vitamin deficiency, such as Vitamin B12. Therefore, by quickly increasing your vitamin intake, you can easily resolve your ataxia.
Ataxia is a confusing and difficult condition to treat because it can happen for a wide range of reasons. Therefore, determining the underlying cause is essential for coming up with a treatment plan. Even so, however, there is no exact cure for ataxia, nor any medications to take it away. There are treatments, however, that can help you regain coordination and control of your muscles, as well as treatments to help you learn how to live with ataxia.