Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.

The three main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:

• involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor)
• slow movement
• stiff and inflexible muscles

A person with Parkinson's disease can also experience a wide range of other physical and psychological symptoms, including:

• depression and anxiety
• balance problems – this may increase the chance of a fall
• loss of sense of smell (anosmis)
• problems sleeping (insomnia)
• memory problems

Causes of Parkinson's disease:

Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. This leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body. A reduction in dopamine is responsible for many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Exactly what causes the loss of nerve cells is unclear. Most experts think that a combination of genetic and environmental factors is responsible.

At TherapyMatters we are effective at helping you and your Parkinson's condition - we are able to assess and treat your key problems related to the condition and help you to manage them. We will give you a Home Exercise Programme and help you to keep fit and active as much as possible - please phone us if you have any questions or need to discuss this some more, we are always happy to help.