July 30, 2026

@michaelokun

Functional movement disorders rarely come with a single "aha" moment. One of the messages from Tony Lang's outstanding Aspen Movement Course lecture this morning that really resonated with me was that there is no single smoking gun for making the diagnosis. Instead, we gather positive clinical clues over time: an inconsistent tremor, a fixed painful posture, a characteristic gait, stuttering speech, distractibility, or other features that, taken together, tell a story. Just as important, these patients deserve our patience. The diagnosis often unfolds over multiple visits, and successful treatment almost always requires a village that includes the patient, family, neurologist, physical therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, and other members of the care team. These disorders are real, common, and potentially treatable. Our job is to recognize the pattern, communicate the diagnosis with empathy, and stay engaged for the journey.