Parkinson’s is a neurological condition or condition of the nervous system that is characterized by problems with body movements, although other non-motor symptoms can also occur.
Parkinson's is a slowly progressive disorder that is life altering, but is not life threatening.
The symptoms of PD often appear gradually, usually on one side of the body first, and slowly progress over time.
The main physical symptoms of PD are slowness of movement, stiffness, and sometimes tremor and loss of balance, although the type and severity of symptoms vary from person to person. Different symptoms may appear as PD progresses. As the disease progresses, non-motor symptoms may also appear, such as depression, difficulty swallowing, sexual problems or cognitive changes.
Most importantly, not everyone will experience exactly the same Parkinson's disease symptoms at the same time. The disease can affect everyone very differently and in some cases it may be many years before there is any disability or significant limitation of daily activities.
Recent advances in medications and surgery however mean that doctors and patients now have better control over the condition than ever before. Additionally, the following therapies can also help manage the symptoms:
- Physical therapy helps mobility, flexibility and balance
- Occupational therapy helps with daily activities
- Speech therapy helps with voice control
- Exercise helps muscles and joints and improves overall health and well-being
Thus, by working with a health-care team, a treatment plan can be created that will meet the person’s individual needs.
PD is globally distributed, affecting all cultures and races, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 6.3 million people. More than 1 in 10 people with PD are diagnosed before the age of 50 years.
Causes of PD
Body movements are controlled by nerve cells in the brain that pass messages to one another. These messages are sent using chemicals called neurotransmitters, which pass between the nerve cells and, in healthy people, the messages are carried smoothly.
One important neurotransmitter that is involved in controlling body movements is called dopamine. In people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), there is a lack of dopamine in the brain, and therefore the relay of messages is disturbed, and this creates problems with the control of movement.
The lack of dopamine is because the brain has lost many of the nerve cells that normally make dopamine. Loosing nerve cells is a completely normal process that occurs even in the healthiest person but, in PD, a very large number of the lost cells are from a specific part of the brain called the substantia niagra. This area is strongly involved with the control of body movements. Thus, resulting in movement difficulties, muscular stiffness, and tremor.
Medical experts are not yet certain what destroys these nerve cells or what causes some people to develop PD and not others. However, PD is not an infectious disease and it is not contagious.