Neuromuscular Disorder Care
UC San Diego Health is the only program in San Diego for comprehensive, multidisciplinary care of adults with genetic and acquired muscle and nerve disease.
Launched in January 2016 by Neurologist Chamindra Laverty, MD, our program includes regular multidisciplinary care involving a neurologist and pulmonologist, with additional specialists available via referral.
Muscular dystrophies are a diverse group of genetic disorders that cause weakness of muscles throughout the body. This can result in impaired movement, breathing disorders, and heart failure.
Similarly, spinal muscular atrophy and hereditary neuropathies cause weakness, pain, and difficulty in walking and breathing in some cases.
These diseases can begin in childhood, but with improving therapies many patients now reach adulthood. Muscular dystrophy may also be diagnosed in adults with new or longstanding muscle weakness.
Also see Pulmonary Neuromuscular and Assisted Ventilation
We focus on providing state-of-the-art care for adults with muscular dystrophy, including expert clinical evaluation, genetic testing, novel therapies, pulmonary function and sleep testing, and ventilatory support.
Conditions We Treat
- Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Myotonic dystrophy
- Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy
- Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis and myasthenic syndromes
- Congenital myopathies
- Congenital muscular dystrophies
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and other hereditary neuropathies
- Inclusion body myositis
- Inflammatory myopathies
- Friedreich's ataxia
- Metabolic disease
- Mitochondrial myopathies/diseases
- Late-onset Pompe disease
Our clinic is supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association of San Diego.
We also work with In-Depth Diagnostics, a nonprofit organization that provides free genetic testing for patients with genetic neurological disorders.
Neuropalliative Care
Our team uses a comprehensive, whole-person approach that addresses not only a person's medical issues, but also their emotional, spiritual and social needs.
More about neuropalliative care
Patient Guides
How to Make an Appointment for this Clinic
You will need a physician's referral to our doctors for an initial neuromuscular consultation. Once the evaluation is complete and depending on your needs, you will be able to make an appointment with us.