The following is an excerpt from an article on Parkinson’s treatment options in Good Housekeeping, written by Marygrace Taylor.
One of the first things most people learn after they or a loved one gets diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease is that treatment options aren’t one-size-fits-all.
While the cause of the long-term neurodegenerative disorder remains unknown, Parkinson’s symptoms are believed to stem from the brain making less of the chemical messenger dopamine. That can lead to movement issues like tremors, stiffness, slowness, and instability—rendering basic activities of everyday living such as walking, talking, and getting dressed much, much harder, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
The majority of therapies work by boosting dopamine levels in the brain, which can keep more of those symptoms under control. But finding the best plan can involve some trial and error. “No two Parkinson’s patients are alike. There are a lot of nuances to treatment, and there’s some artistry to it,” says Elana Clar, MD, a neurologist and movement disorder specialist at the New Jersey Brain and Spine Center in Hackensack, NJ.
Read more from the original article on Good Housekeeping.
