Merrilee J. Needham is a neurologist based in Nedlands, WA, Australia. Her work is centred on conditions that affect muscles and the nerves that control them, so patients often need care that looks at both movement and day-to-day function.
She helps people living with long-term muscle problems, including inclusion body myositis, myositis, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and necrotizing myopathy. She also looks after people with conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and primary lateral sclerosis. At times, patients also come in with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, cytoplasmic body myopathy, or antisynthetase syndrome.
Some cases are focused on ongoing weakness and muscle pain. Others involve more than the muscles, like interstitial lung disease that can go along with certain myopathies. There can be a lot to juggle in one illness, from strength and breathing concerns to managing symptoms and getting the right support in place.
Over time, Merrilee’s approach stays practical and grounded. She takes time to understand how symptoms are changing, what has been tried already, and what matters most for quality of life. In many cases, care also involves checking how a person is coping day to day, including falls risk, mobility, and pain. For some people, she also works with teams around gastrostomy support where needed.
Experience and training are built around neurology care, with a steady focus on neuromuscular conditions. This kind of work can be complex, but the goal is simple: clear explanations, a steady plan, and support that fits the way each person lives.
New treatments and better ways to manage symptoms keep coming through research. Merrilee stays across current evidence, and in the right situation she can talk about clinical trials, including what options might be worth considering and what the trade-offs can look like.
People sometimes feel overwhelmed when symptoms start affecting strength, movement, or breathing. Merrilee helps make the next steps feel more manageable, one decision at a time, from the first appointment through ongoing care.
