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Parkinson's disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders. The four primary symptoms are tremor or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia or slowness of movement; and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination. As these symptoms become more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks.

The disease is both chronic, meaning it persists over a long period of time, and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse over time. It is not contagious nor is it usually inherited - that is, it does not pass directly from one family member or generation to the next.

Parkinson's disease is the most common form of parkinsonism, the name for a group of disorders with similar features (see section entitled "What are the Other Forms of Parkinsonism?"). These disorders share the four primary symptoms described above, and all are the result of the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Parkinson's disease is also called primary parkinsonism or idiopathic Parkinson's disease; idiopathic is a term describing a disorder for which no cause has yet been found. In the other forms of parkinsonism either the cause is known or suspected or the disorder occurs as a secondary effect of another, primary neurological disorder.

What is the symptoms of Parkinson?

It is important to realize that not every person with Parkinson's develops all signs or symptoms of the disease. For example, some people experience tremor as the primary symptom, while others may not have tremor but do have balance problems. Also, for some people the disease progresses quickly, and in others it does not. The following are descriptions of the most common primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Tremor: In the early stages of the disease, about 70 percent of people experience a slight tremor in the hand or foot on one side of the body, or less commonly in the jaw or face. It appears as a "beating" or oscillating movement. Because the Parkinson's tremor usually appears when a person's muscles are relaxed, it is called "resting tremor." This means that the affected body part trembles when it is not doing work, and it usually subsides when a person begins an action. The tremor often spreads to the other side of the body as the disease progresses, but remains most apparent on the original side of occurrence.

Rigidity: Rigidity, also called increased muscle tone, means stiffness or inflexibility of the muscles. Muscles normally stretch when they move, and then relax when they are at rest. In rigidity, the muscle tone of an affected limb is always stiff and does not relax, sometimes resulting in a decreased range of motion. For example, a person who has rigidity may not be able to swing his or her arms when walking because the muscles are too tight. Rigidity can cause pain and cramping.

Bradykinesia: Bradykinesia is the phenomenon of a person experiencing slow movements. In addition to slow movements, a person with bradykinesia will probably also have incomplete movement, difficulty initiating movements and sudden stopping of ongoing movement. People who have bradykinesia may walk with short, shuffling steps (this is called festination). Bradykinesia and rigidity can occur in the facial muscles, reducing a person's range of facial expressions and resulting in a "mask-like" appearance.

Postural instability or impaired balance and coordination: People with Parkinson's disease often experience instability when standing or impaired balance and coordination. These symptoms, combined with other symptoms such as bradykinesia, increase the probability of falling. People with balance problems may have difficulty making turns or abrupt movements. They may go through periods of "freezing," which is when a person feels stuck to the ground and finds it difficult to start walking. The slowness and incompleteness of movement can also affect speaking and swallowing.

Secondary symptoms of Parkinson's can be, for many, as troublesome as the primary movement symptoms of the disease. PDF receives many inquiries about secondary symptoms. Secondary symptoms of Parkinson's include stooped posture, a tendency to lean forward or backward and speech problems, such as softness of voice or slurred speech caused by lack of muscle control. Non-motor symptoms, such as depression, also affect the life of a person with Parkinson's.

The following is a list of secondary symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Some of these symptoms have been discussed in PDF publications; please click on them to read more:

• Speech changes
• Loss of facial expression, or "masking"
• Micrographia (small, cramped handwriting)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Drooling
• Pain
• Dementia or confusion
• Sleep disturbances
• Constipation
• Skin problems
• Depression
• Fear or anxiety
• Memory difficulties and slowed thinking
• Sexual dysfunction
• Urinary problems
• Fatigue and aching
• Loss of energy
• Compulsive behavior
• Cramping

Parkinson Treatment Centre

Parkinson disease is a brain disorder.  It occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these cells produce a vital chemical known as dopamine.

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Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that is chronic and progressive, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. As many as one million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease.

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Parkinson's disease occurs when a group of cells in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra begin to malfunction and die. These cells in the substantia nigra produce a chemical called dopamine.

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The main symptoms of Parkinson's can also be symptoms of other disorders. Conditions that produce these symptoms are known collectively as parkinsonism. Parkinson's is the most common form of parkinsonism and is often referred to as "idiopathic Parkinson's disease" (this means of unknown cause).

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Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. Tremors, rigidity, slow movement (bradykinesia), poor balance, and difficulty walking (called parkinsonian gait) are characteristic primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease.