My elderly father-in-law (about 80) has been losing the coordination of his legs when he walks. He finds it very difficult to walk without a stick. The symptoms have got steadily worse over the past few years. Interestingly, he does not have any pain. None of the experts really knows what is going on. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Hello,
Loss of coordination of legs could be a number of things. He could have an upper motor neuron problem or it could be in the striatum which is responsible for timing and sequencing of motor neurons. A general physical exam may not be enough to determine what the problem is. He probably needs a functional MRI scan done to see where any brain dysfunction might be. It's good that he can get around with a cane. MRI scans are very expensive and if you don't have insurance you might as well forget it. However, there are some clinics that cater to scans and have very reduced prices. You might want to check this and find out your local prices. MRIs are thousands of dollar. However, these specialized clinics may be able to do it for $300 or so. Without a proper diagnosis, it's impossible to know how to fix the problem.
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