Pediatric Neuromuscular Rehabilitation

The UF Health Center of Pediatric Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases is a collaborative effort between two colleges and seven divisions or departments at the University of Florida. Our neuromuscular program cares for infants, children and teens with neuromuscular disorders. The specialists in our program are experienced in treating children with muscular dystrophy and other myopathies, neuropathies, motor neuron diseases and neuromuscular junction disorders.

UF Health’s Neuromuscular Program has been recognized by the Muscular Dystrophy Association as a nexus for expert clinical care and medical research. Our physicians and scientists are active participants in clinical trials and continue to research causes and possible new treatments for neuromuscular disorders.

Our highly skilled staff understands the unique challenges that children with neuromuscular disease face. We pride ourselves on always providing compassionate care and treating your child as a whole person — taking time to understand how best to care for them as individuals.

We empower patients and families with the education and support they need to better manage their neuromuscular conditions at home — so they can get back to simply being a kid.

Conditions we treat

Each year, we care for over 350 patients with a wide range of neuromuscular disorders from across North America, South America, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. Any child who has a neuromuscular disease and would benefit from interdisciplinary care is welcomed into the center. The following are diseases we currently provide patient care for:

• Acquired myopathies (polymyositis, dermatomyositis)
• Acquired neuropathies and polyneuropathies (Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy)
• Ataxias
• Barth Syndrome
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease/Hereditary myopathies
• Centronuclear myopathies
• Congenital muscular dystrophy
• Congenital myopathies (RYR 1, MTM 1, nemaline)
• Dystrophinopathies (Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy)
• Emery-Dreifuss dystrophy
• Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
• Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Friedreichs ataxia
• Glycogen storage disorders (Pompe, McArdle, von Gierke)
• Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy
• Mitochondrial myopathies
• Myasthenia gravis
• Myotonic dystrophy
• Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Because progressive weakness of the patients seen here results in coughing and difficulty breathing, the pediatric pulmonary component is essential, as treatment for lung complications becomes necessary. The program sees patients weekly at UF Health Pediatric Specialties – Medical Plaza.

Gainesville resources

• UF Health Shands Hospital admissions
• Child-Life Program at UF Health
• Conditions and treatments
• Clinical Trials

Jacksonville resources

• Admissions at UF Health Jacksonville
• Child-Life Program at UF Health Jacksonville