Parkinson's Association SA

Parkinson's Disease (often referred to as Parkinsons) affects the part of the brain that is responsible for the control of movement.

Normally the brain acts like the automatic pilot on a plane, organising and controlling our movement without our being aware of it. All aspects of movement are carefully attuned to each other as a matter of course. With Parkinson's, something goes wrong with the automatic pilot, which means that movement is no longer simple and straightforward. As yet, there is no cure for the illness, but much can be done to limit its symptoms. What Symptoms do you experience with Parkinson's disease?

Not everyone will experience exactly the same 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 on daily activities.

In the early stages of Parkinson's disease, symptoms often tend to affect one side of the body first and then later on spread to the other side of the body

Some typical symptoms that people with Parkinson's can experience include:

• Shakiness or trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face: often referred to as tremor.
• Stiffness or rigidity where muscles become tight and stiff.
• Slowness of movement, for example, difficulty initiating movements, like getting up from a chair. Your doctor may refer to this as bradykinesia or akinesia.
• Problems with balance and co-ordination or postural instability, which are usually late features of the disease.

Other symptoms that are not related to movement can also occur. These include sleep disturbances, depression, difficulties with speech or swallowing and memory loss. These usually occur later in the disease. Importantly, many of these symptoms can be improved by medications.