What Is a Functional Movement Disorder?

A functional movement disorder occurs when you experience unusual, involuntary movements or body positions. It is caused by a problem with the way signals are sent throughout the brain. Other terms for functional movement disorders are psychogenic movement disorders and conversion disorders.

Unlike other movement disorders like Parkinson's disease, disease or damage to the nervous system do not cause functional movement disorders. This means treatments, and sometimes a cure, are available, to help you get better.