Ataxia is more of a symptom rather than a disease. Ataxia in Greek means "out of order" or "loss of balance". Ataxia is a common neurological symptom that makes patient feels insecure due to a loss of control while doing day-to-day activities.

Ataxia is a lack of muscle coordination due to the small brain's (cerebellum) failure to regulate the body's posture, regulate its strength and direct the limb movements, thus resulting in wobbliness or clumsiness.

Ataxia may affect the fingers and hands, the extremities, the entire body, speech, or even eye movements.

A person with long-standing ataxia may have damaged a part of the brain (cerebellum) that controls muscle coordination.

Hereditary ataxia is rare. In the case of Hereditary ataxia, more than one family member may suffer from the same disease ataxia. Acute ataxia can be a relatively common complication of conditions such as a stroke, encephalitis (infection of the brain), or multiple sclerosis. Men and women both are equally affected.

There are three major types of ataxia, which also include causes based on the area of the brain, spine, or ears affected.