Alan Sim-Mackay is a neurologist based in Nathan, QLD, Australia. He helps people with nervous system conditions that can affect movement, balance, and day-to-day life. Neurology can be a big word, but the work is very practical: figuring out what’s going on, then making a plan that fits the person.
His clinic work often includes movement and coordination problems. That can mean Parkinson’s disease, ataxia, and other movement disorders. It can also include spasticity and spastic paraplegia, where the muscles feel stiff or tight and walking or sitting can become harder. At times, this kind of condition also links in with issues like autonomic dysreflexia, which can be triggered by pain or bladder and bowel problems in people with spinal cord injuries.
Alan also looks after people with motor neuron conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). For some families, this is about managing symptoms and keeping function as steady as possible. For others, it’s about sorting out new symptoms early so treatment can start sooner rather than later.
There are also brain and nerve conditions that show up in different ways. Myoclonic epilepsy can cause sudden jerks, and at times it can be hard to work out what’s happening from day to day. Telangiectasia-related conditions, like ataxia-telangiectasia, may bring together balance issues and other body changes that need careful checking. He may also be involved when there are rare or complex diagnoses, such as Zellweger syndrome, and when infections like melioidosis have affected the nervous system.
Alan’s approach stays grounded and calm. He focuses on understanding the pattern of symptoms, reviewing what has already been tried, and discussing options in plain language. If medication side effects are part of the story, he can help untangle drug-induced dyskinesia as well. He also helps with problems linked to unusual brain activity and movement, including drug reactions that can change how someone moves.