As with any disease, homeopathy may have some benefit to offer in Parkinson’s disease, although the use of homeopathic remedies should not detract from using allopathic medicines (drugs) as prescribed by a medical doctor. At the very least, if homeopathy is the placebo that many claim it is, it should do no harm. However, you should always consult with your doctor before commencing with any alternative therapy.

Homeopathic Remedies for Parkinson’s Disease

The main principle behind homeopathy is that ‘like cures like’. By administering substances that would otherwise cause the same symptoms in a healthy person, it is believed that the remedy can stimulate the body to overcome the disease. With homeopathic remedies the substance is not administered in its full strength or raw form. Instead it is diluted in a special process known as potentisation. The active ingredient may be at such a small concentration to be barely detectable or totally undetectable but it is believed that its energy signature remains in the solvent and carrier.  There are two systems of prescribing homeopathic medicine, which are broadly divided into classical homeopathy and clinical homeopathy.

Classical Homeopathy

This system of prescribing is often considered as the true system of homeopathy. A homeopathic practitioner will take a long case history looking at physical, mental and emotional characteristics and symptoms of the patient. In addition, modalities which are factors that may aggravate or relieve symptoms are also taken into account. Once this case history and physical examination is completed, the practitioner decides upon a single remedy or a few remedies that fit the disease picture that the patient has reported.

Due to the variation of the disease picture as a result of individual variations and assessments of each case, there is no single remedy that can be prescribed across the board for all Parkinson’s patients.

Clinical Homeopathy

In clinical homeopathy, the basis of the prescription does not focus on finding the entire disease picture but rather choosing the remedy based purely on the clinical presentation at the time. This is similar to some extent to the diagnosis and prescription of drugs as is seen in allopathic medicine. Multiple remedies may also be mixed together to form homeopathic complexes.

Many commercially available over-the-counter (OTC) homeopathic products are based on the approach adopted by clinical homeopathy. Therefore there will be a specific product or products for all Parkinson’s disease patients.

Some of the homeopathic remedies commonly prescribed for Parkinson’s disease in clinical homeopathy are the metals – Mercurius solubilis (mercury) and Plumbum metallicum (lead). These substances, in the undiluted form, is known to cause significant neurological and muscular symptoms. Other remedies for muscle weakness, stiffness and a lack of coordination include Natrum muriaticum (sodium chloride), Rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy) and Hyoscyamus niger (henbane). All these remedies contain a very dilute form of the actual plant, metal of salt. Use of most of the substances in the raw form is extremely toxic.

Always consult with your doctor and a qualified homeopathic practitioner before taking any remedy. There is currently a lack of scientific evidence and clinical trials to verify the efficacy of these remedies, or any homeopathic remedy, to provide any relief for Parkinson’s disease. Despite numerous reports by homeopathic practitioners and Parkinson’s patients, as well as the vast number of claims by homeopathic product manufacturers and distributors, the safety and efficacy of homeopathic remedies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease has yet to be verified.

Causes

PD is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the brain. Lack of dopamine produces the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinsonism may be caused by a number of conditions, such as :

• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Progressive supranuclear palsy
• Multiple system atrophy
• Corticobasal degeneration
• Shy-Drager syndrome
• Wilson’s disease
• Benign essential tremor
• Dystonic tremor
• Huntington’s disease.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD or “Mad Cow Disease”)
• Pick’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Encephalitis
• Meningitis
• Brain tumors
• Stroke
• Head injury, particularly repeated head trauma, as in boxing
• Drugs- pharmaceutical and narcotic
• Other toxins – manganese, carbon monoxide, methanol

Drug-Induced Parkinsonism

The onset of drug induced Parkinsonism is more rapid than that of PD. On withdrawal of the offending drug the symptoms often improve but some percentage of patients develop persistent and progressive Parkinsonism. In these cases it is believed that the drug did not cause the Parkinsonism but rather unmasked a latent condition.

Many medicines have been implicated in producing parkinsonism, including :

• Antiemetics – metoclopramide
• Antidepressants – selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
• Antipsychotics (used to treat severe paranoia and schizophrenia) – chlorpromazine, haloperidol. Atypical antipsychotics are less likely to cause secondary Parkinsonism
• Anti-seizure medication – valproic acid.
• Antihypertensives – methyldopa, reserpine
• Brain damage caused by anesthetic drugs

MPTP seems to be selectively toxic to the cells in the substantia nigra, producing not only sudden irreversible Parkinsonism but all other associated features of PD too. Inadvertent synthesis and use of MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) while trying to manufacture MPPP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-4-propionpiperidine), an illicit narcotic compound, led to symptoms of PD.

Use of MPPP contaminated with MPTP, which was sold in the street as synthetic heroin, led to similar symptoms with toxicity and death.

Symptoms

PD and Parkinsonism may have similar symptoms. Tremor, rigidity, slowness of movements, postural instability, slow shuffling gait, unilateral involvement (symptoms only on one side of the body) or other associated symptoms of PD such as dementia, difficulty with speech, swallowing difficulties and other features may also be present with secondary Parkinsonism.

Diagnosis

Differentiation between Parkinsonism due to some other cause and that due to PD may become difficult in patients presenting with early symptoms, especially in the elderly.

• A thorough history, noting other signs and symptoms, and a neurological examination may help to arrive at a diagnosis.
• There are no definite tests to confirm the diagnosis of PD, which is often diagnosed by eliminating other causes of Parkinsonism.
• Investigations, including a CT scan and MRI, may be done as indicated.
• A dramatic improvement of symptoms with levodopa can sometimes support the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Treatment

Treatment of PD is usually with a combination of anti-Parkinson drugs, including levodopa, and auxilliary therapies like physical therapy.

In Parkinsonism, treatment will be directed the cause, once it is identified. Parkinsonism caused by drugs or toxins often improve on stopping the drugs or eliminating the toxins. Specific treatment may be undertaken for other diagnosed conditions.

In most cases, Parkinsonism due to other causes does not respond, or responds only moderately, to anti-Parkinson drugs.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder where there is degeneration of the cells of a part of the brain known as the substantia nigra, resulting in dopamine deficiency. Dopamine is a chemical transmitter which is involved in transmitting signals within the brain that help to coordinate movements. Loss of dopamine produces problems with movement and coordination that is the characteristic of PD.

PD usually affects older persons, usually over the age of 60, but it can also occur in younger people. The typical symptoms are tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and loss of postural reflex, which develop gradually over time. Other associated features may develop as the disease progresses and may include an expressionless face, drooling, soft indistinct speech, short shuffling steps, difficulty in performing fine rapid movements such as writing, or fastening buttons. Memory loss, dementia, sleep problems, difficulty with speech, eye problems, and a host of other complications may follow.

Although there is no definite cure, medicines are the mainstay of treatment in PD and help to control symptoms. Of these, levodopa, in combination with a peripheral acting dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor, seems to give best results. The other commonly used drugs are pramipexole, ropinirole, rotigotine, selegiline, entacapone, benztropine, and amantadine.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Alzheimer’s disease is an age-related, slow but relentlessly progressive disease of the brain cells for which there is no cure. It usually occurs after the age of 60, but the risk increases as a person gets older. It is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Destruction of the brain cells result in problems with memory, thinking and behavior.

Initially, a person with AD has problems with remembering recent events or names of known people. As the disease progresses, they may have difficulty in recognizing family members and forgetting how to do normal activities such as brushing their teeth. There may be behavioral and personality changes, inability to take simple decisions, and loss of mental functions.

Drugs such as donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine are used in AD patients to treat symptoms but this cannot slow down the progression of the disease.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where there is damage to the protective covering of the nerve fibers (myelin sheath) of the central nervous system. This can result in damage to the fibers itself and conduction of electrical impulses through the nerve fibers is hampered. MS usually starts at a young age, often between 20 and 40 years of age, with women being more often affected than men. Age should not be the only criteria in trying to identify a degenerative neurological condition because in early-onset Parkinson’s disease, the condition may begin in the 40’s or rarely, even younger.

Muscle weakness, difficulty with balance and coordination, visual problems, numbness or “pins and needles” sensation, problems with thought and memory may be some of the symptoms. The symptoms are unpredictable and may vary from person to person and from time to time. In most cases the symptoms may be mild and often remit spontaneously. A person’s ability to speak or walk may become impaired in severe forms of the disease.

There is no cure for MS but drugs such as beta interferon, glatiramer and corticosteroids may help to slow down the progress of the disease or control some of the symptoms.

Taking more than his prescribed dose of any medicine can affect each individual differently and the effect will also depend upon the type of medicine ingested as well as the quantity. Varying effects may be seen when the medicine is combined with other drugs, alcohol, or if it is taken along with food or on an empty stomach.

Causes of Drug Overdose in Parkinson’s Disease

• A Parkinson’s disease patient may be old and forgetful. A multiple drug regime may cause further confusion. Chances of repeating a dose is possible in such patients.
• Elderly patients may take the wrong medicine or incorrect and excessive dose without being aware of it.
• A patient may take double the dose to make up for a missed dose.
• Parkinson’s disease patients often suffer from depression. A large dose of medicine may be taken in an attempt to commit suicide.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Medicine Overdose

The symptoms of overdose of any drug could be an aggravation of its normal action. The severity of symptoms is largely dependent on the amount of drug taken.

1. Levodopa or a combination of levodopa/carbidopa is the most common drug prescribed to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. An overdose of this drug can cause nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, palpitations and irregular heart beats (arrhythmias). Confusion and agitation may also occur.
2. Overdose with a dopamine agonist such as ropinirole may cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, dizziness, fainting, muscle spasms, chest pain, confusion and hallucinations. Symptoms of overdose with pramipexole, another dopamine agonist, are not known but may include any of the above.
3. MAO-B inhibitors such as selegiline overdose may induce hypotension (low blood pressure) and agitation, although definite effects of overdose have not been seen with selegiline. Headache, drowsiness, dizziness, chest pain, respiratory depression and convulsions are other possible symptoms.
4. Overdose with COMT inhibitors such as entacapone or tolcapone have not been reported but a large enough dosage could cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, respiratory depression and convulsions.
5. Amantadine can result in an overdose even in fairly small amounts. It can cause hypertension (high blood pressure), arrhythmias, respiratory distress, kidney problems, insomnia, agitation, confusion, disorientation, delirium, convulsions, coma or even death.

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Drug Overdose

Immediate medical care is very important for successful treatment of any drug overdose.

The treatment will depend upon the medicine taken (refer to Drug Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease), amount ingested, time elapsed since then, and also to a certain extent upon the age of the patient. Some of the measures may include :

• General supportive care.
• Intravenous fluids.
• Gastric lavage or pumping of the stomach.
• Inducing vomiting.
• Activated charcoal.
• ECG to monitor the heart, especially for arrhythmias.
• Specific antidotes, if available.
• Treatment of complications.

The possibility of multiple drug involvement should be kept in mind, especially if overdosing is suspected to be intentional. Refer to the article on Other Drug Interactions with Parkinson’s Disease Medicines.

Further management will be guided by the reason for overdose – accidental or intentional.

There is evidence to show that the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may become aggravated during the course of pregnancy, most likely as a result of the circulating hormones during pregnancy. Various studies are currently being conducted to study the effects of medicines used in Parkinson’s disease on pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease & Pregnancy

There are certain changes in the body that take place in Parkinson’s disease which may be similar to those associated with pregnancy and these may aggravate when both conditions co-exist. The symptoms may be similar, such as :

• Weight gain
• Difficulty in maintaining posture and balance, increasing chances of falling
• Slowness of movement
• Nausea and vomiting
• Constipation
• Hypersalivation or increased salivation
• Tiredness
• Sleepnessness
• Frequency or increased micturition – the need to pass urine more often.

Many Parkinson’s disease patients do not have any aggravation of their symptoms during pregnancy and this should not be a cause for concern. It is advisable to discuss the possibilities with your medical practitioner if you are suffering with Parkinson’s disease and have fallen pregnant or planning pregnancy.

Medicines in Parkinson’s Disease & Pregnancy

The studies on pregnant Parkinson’s patients has offered only limited result due to the small numbers of participants in these studies. However, pharmacodynamics related to drug therapy in Parkinson’s disease provide an indication of which medicines may not be safe to use during pregnancy.

• Levodopa – this is considered to be the most effective and most commonly used medicine for Parkinson’s disease. Pregnant women continuing with levodopa therapy during pregnancy have been known to deliver normal healthy babies with no complications during pregnancy in maximum number of cases.
• Selegiline – according to animal testing, taking this medicine is not advisable during pregnancy, although one reported case does show the birth of a healthy baby after a woman took selegiline throughout her pregnancy.
• Amantadine – animal testing shows that chances of defects in the fetus are more common with the use of this drug and hence it is best avoided during pregnancy.
• L-dopa-benserazide – one case has been reported of a woman being treated with this drug without having any complications during pregnancy and with the delivery of a healthy baby.
• Anti-emetics – medicines to reduce nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, such as metoclopramide and prochlorperazine, should not be used as they tend to increase the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Special attention must be given to a pregnant Parkinson’s disease patient to help her cope with her various symptoms, which may be aggravated as a result of pregnancy, with the aim being to deliver a normal healthy baby.

References

1. Parkinson’s Disease and Pregnancy. Pubmed
2. Hormones may play a role in Parkinson’s. WebMD
3. Pregnancy & Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s Disease Society

Symptoms for Diagnosing Parkinson’s Disease

• Diagnosis is made more difficult in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease since there may not be any of the typical symptoms initially and only a few non-specific symptoms may be present such as tiredness, depression, or mental slowness, which may be mistaken for normal signs of aging.
• Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually start on one side of the body but gradually affect both sides.
• Parkinson’s disease is a disease of old age, rarely starts before the age of 50 and is more common after the age of 65. However, early onset of Parkinson’s disease before the age of 40 years is possible.
• Of the three major signs – tremor, rigidity and bradykinesis – at least two need to be present to confirm the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
• One of the earliest symptoms is tremor present at rest, starting in the upper limb and gradually involving the legs, mouth and tongue. It is a coarse tremor with a “pill rolling” action of thumb over fingers commonly referred to as the Parkinson’s tremor.
• The rigidity, or increased muscular tone, causes an increase in resistance to the passive stretching of muscles, which may be continuous and is called ‘lead pipe’ rigidity or may be interrupted by tremors and is then called ‘cogwheel’ rigidity.
• Bradykinesia, or slowness of initiation or repeating of movements, develops gradually and results in slowness of gait. Difficulty with fine rapid movements, especially of the fingers, results in problem in performing tasks such as shaving, fastening buttons or writing.
• Expressionless face, drooling, soft indistinct speech, and short shuffling steps are all features that may develop in Parkinson’s disease.
• Dementia may be a late feature of the disease, often associated with depression and psychosis.

Other diseases with similar symptoms like Parkinson’s disease

• Alzheimer’s disease – this is also a disease of old age and diagnosis may be further complicated since Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease may co-exist.
• Diffuse vascular disease.
• Lewy body disease – here dementia is an early symptom.
• Essential tremor – tremor is more of the head, worsening on motion and less on rest
• Wilson’s disease
• Multiple system atrophy
• Drugs such as certain antipsychotics and antiepileptics.
• Hyperthyroidism

Final Diagnosis of  Parkinson’s Disease

• Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease is based mainly on the history, symptoms, and neurological examination of the patient.
• Blood tests, EEG, CT scan or MRI of brain show no definite abnormality in patients with Parkinson’s disease but may be done to rule out other diseases.
• Levodopa challenge test – patients with Parkinson’s disease show dramatic and significant improvement on starting treatment with levodopa, thus differentiating them from other neurological diseases.

References

1. Diagnosing Parkinson’s Disease. University of Maryland
2. Parkinson’s Disease. Medline Plus

Other causes of Dementia

These two are the most common causes of dementia are :

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Diffuse vascular disease

The other causes of dementia may be :

• Lewy body disease
• Cerebral tumor
• Chronic subdural hematoma
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Vitamin B12 deficiency

Since diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s occur in the older age group, they may co-exist and symptoms often overlap.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

The symptoms of dementia in Parkinson’s disease occur late in the disease, developing slowly over the years. There may be

• Progressive loss of memory
• Incompetence in doing daily routine tasks
• Change in personality
• Depression
• Slow and repetitive speech
• Hallucinations
• Problem with concentration
• Unable to use or understand complex language
• Difficulty in learning new tasks
• Unable to take decisions
• Problems in adapting to change
• Slow response to questions
• Increasing dependency on others.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

Whether the dementia is due to Parkinson’s disease or any other cause is very difficult to diagnose since there are no definite tests available. If the person is known to be suffering from long term Parkinson’s disease and there is gradual change in his mood, in personality, decision making capability, or memory, dementia has to be considered. Brain scans such as CT scan or MRI are not diagnostic for Parkinson’s disease dementia but Positron emission tomographic (PET) scan may be done to differentiate dementia caused by depression from that due to Parkinson’s disease. Neuropsychological testing involving assessment of cognitive abilities such as concentration, memory, reasoning or ability to carry out various tasks is a better method of diagnosing the cause of dementia.

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

There is no definite cure for dementia due to Parkinson’s disease but certain drugs, like cholinesterase inhibitors, may give temporary relief. Antidepressants such as the tricyclic agents nortriptyline or desepramine can be used for depression and mood fluctuation, as also certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like fluoxetine and citalopram. Atypical antipsychotics are preferred such as clozapine for the psychotic symptoms, since the older antipsychotics tend to worsen Parkinson’s disease, but the various side effects of the newer drugs have to be taken into consideration too. Quetiapine or olanzapine may be better tolerated than clozapine.

Initially the Parkinson’s tremor may seem mild and most patients notice it when reading a newspaper or picking up a mug. These early tremors do not prevent functioning in daily tasks but rather interferes with the level of functioning. It initially occurs as episodes lasting from a few minutes to hours and the episodes per week varies in individual cases. An early stage Parkinson’s disease sufferer may try their utmost to hide the tremors from their family, friends or work colleagues but with time, they accept that further medical intervention is needed.

“Pill Rolling” Tremor

The Parkinson’s tremor tends to more often affect the hands and causes a movement sometimes referred to as “pill rolling”. This “pill rolling” ‘tremor’ involves the uncontrolled movement of the thumb and finger(s) in a back and forth motion. This may also appear as the thumb and fingers are rubbing together, hence the term “pill rolling” movement. These tremors are usually rhythmic and may occur between 4 to 5 cycles per second. It may only affect one side of the body, or one hand, but as the disease progresses, the tremor may become more generalized affecting many parts of the body.

Resting Tremor

Parkinson’s tremors are often worse at rest or when a limb is extended, like holding out the hand. It may also aggravate when tired, excited, stressed or emotional. The tremors often ease significantly or totally go away during movement and this is one of the reasons why new techniques such as stress ball or tennis ball exercises are now used to ease Parkinson’s tremors. These tremors usually go away completely while asleep but quickly return upon waking.

Parkinson’s Treatment

One of the biggest concerns of Parkinson’s sufferers is the extent to which the tremors will affect their job, taking care of themselves in basic daily chores or that of their family. Initially, these tremors are mild and manageable but with time, the tremors may become unbearable. It is therefore essential that treatment for Parkinson’s disease is sought as early as possible as the appropriate medication can significantly reduce the severity of tremors. Alternatively, medication may be able to give the sufferer periods of time with minimal tremors thereby allowing the completion of necessary tasks.

With time, Parkinson’s tremors can become quite debilitating and severely hamper daily functioning. Parkinson’s tremors usually do not entirely disable the patient. Depending on the severity and frequency, the tremors may make the most mundane of tasks a difficult and at times embarrassing experience, especially when the tremors affect other parts of the body, particularly the face.

When a person is first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease it can seem for them like the world is coming to an end, this isn’t the case however for once diagnosis is made although there isn’t a cure steps can be taken to treat it. Research into Parkinson’s disease is coming along in leaps and bounds and new drug treatments are being continually developed.

In the meantime there are several ways that the symptoms of those suffering from Parkinson’s disease can be helped. Here is some practical advice for those suffering from the disease and for their family and friends.

A person’s circumstances will differ

Everyone’s experience with Parkinson’s disease will vary greatly depending on their circumstances; the majority of sufferers will be over the age of 60, an age when various other health conditions can also have an affect on the disease.

Also the health of other people living in the same house will play a crucial role for instance if the person diagnosed as having Parkinson’s is already looking after a family member with an illness.

Younger people also get Parkinson’s disease and for these people different worries will surface, loss of earnings due to the progression of the disease, forced early retirement and coping with young children can all be issues.

The loved ones of sufferers

Family and friends of those diagnosed with the disease can be greatly affected, they will have thoughts and worries of how they will cope with their loved ones illness, particularly with its progressive nature.

If the person diagnosed is a younger person with young children then concerns of whether they should tell their children of the disease will be present. Family and friends may also not want to be the first to broach issues about the disease for fear of making their loved ones worse.

These are all concerns which can become overwhelming when not discussed openly, many people who have been diagnosed with this illness have found their worries are unfounded if they are broached and talked about with the sufferer instead of hiding them.

The outlook

What the future will bring of course will be foremost on the minds of those having being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, not only will the person worry what the future holds for them with the disease but also how their loved ones will cope.

Having a better understanding of the disease and the treatments for the disease will go a long way to easing worries and therapy not only for the sufferer but also their loved ones is advisable, therapy of this nature is usually by way of a family therapist, where the family as a whole can openly discuss with a therapist any worries and fears they may have.

There are many support and advice centres that can point you in the right direction and help you to gain an understanding of Parkinson’s disease and the outlook for those suffering.

The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease isn’t known and it is a disease which gradually gets worse over time and affects thousands of people throughout the world. It is a disease which affects people of all races, gender and age, though it is more prevalent in those over the age of 65. It is a particularly debilitating disease with symptoms that affect the movement, gait, posture and speech in the sufferer.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is the degeneration of an area deep in the brain called the basal ganglia, or to be more precise the substantia nigra. This area in the brain contains black pigmented cells which in a normal human being produce chemical transmitters, of which the most important is dopamine. These transmitters are chemical which pass on messages from one cell to the other, they either stimulate or inhabit as necessary.

When someone suffers from Parkinson’s disease the cells in the basal ganglia produce less dopamine and with dopamine being needed to transmit the messages to parts of the brain, spinal chord, muscles and nerves, symptoms of the disease show as rigidity and slowness of movement.

There is normally a balance between dopamine and another transmitter which is called acetylcholine, this is usually present in many areas of the brain and plays an important part in memory and recall.

In someone who has Parkinson’s dopamine is depleted and there is an excess of acetylcholine, this is why two of the most common types of medication used in the treatment of Parkinson’s is dopamine in the form of Levodopa and drugs which help to restore the balance of acetylcholine called anticholinergic in the form of benzhexol.

Ageing and heredity

Parkinson’s disease is by no means caused by the process of ageing that has an affect on everyone’s brain to some extent; however the incidence of contracting the disease as we get older does increase. Research is currently underway in determining the heredity factor associated with Parkinson’s disease, with a very weak link being found to associate Parkinson’s with Alzheimer’s disease.

Important points about Parkinson’s disease

• The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown at the present time.
• It is the reduction in the chemical dopamine that causes the symptoms of Parkinson’s such as tremor, rigidity and gait.
• While Parkinson’s cannot be cured the symptoms can be greatly helped with the use of medication such as Levodopa which replenishes the dopamine levels lost in the brain.