What is Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a long-term condition that affects your nervous system and the areas of your body that are controlled by nerves. Symptoms usually begin with a barely perceptible tremor in one hand. These tremors are common in Parkinson’s, but the disorder can also cause stiffness or slow movement.

Early signs of Parkinson’s include your face showing little or no expression, your arms not swinging when you walk, and your speech becoming slurred or soft. As your condition progresses, Parkinson’s symptoms become worse.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but medications may improve symptoms. Your health care provider may also recommend surgery to treat certain areas of your brain to improve symptoms.

Treatment

There's no cure for Parkinson's, but medications can help manage the symptoms, sometimes even leading to a dramatic improvement. In some more severe cases, surgery could be a possibility. Your doctor or nurse may also suggest making changes to your lifestyle, like getting regular aerobic exercise. Physical therapy that emphasizes balance and stretching can also help with speech problems, so it's important to talk to a speech-language specialist.

Surgical procedures

Deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure in which electrodes are inserted into a specific area of the brain. These electrodes connect to a generator that is implanted in the chest, close to the collarbone. This generator sends electrical impulses to the brain, which may reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Your health care team may change your settings as needed to treat your condition, and surgery may involve risks, such as infection, stroke or brain haemorrhage. Some patients experience problems with their DBS system, or complications due to stimulation, and a member of your healthcare team may need to change or replace certain parts of your system.

The most common use of DBS is for people with advanced Parkinson’s who have an unstable response to levodopa and are unable to control their dyskinesia or Parkinson’s symptoms. DBS is effective in stabilizing medicine fluctuations, reducing or halting involuntary movements, reducing tremor, reducing rigidity, and improving movements. However, DBS is not effective in treating problems that don’t respond well to levodopa, such as dyskinesia and do not improve with medication adjustments. DBS is not helpful for problems that do not respond to levodopa