Parkinson's disease & other movement disorders

Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or any other movement disorder can be frightening. How will it affect your life? We’re here to help you, from diagnosis through treatment and support.

Conditions

There are many movement disorders that share some of the same symptoms as Parkinson's disease. Some of them are:

• Ataxia
• Dystonia (or chronic movement disorder)
• Essential tremor
• Huntington’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Restless leg syndrome
• Tourette’s syndrome

Overview

Eating breakfast. Writing your grocery list. Walking to the car. Driving to the store. Most of us do these activities without a second thought. But for a person with a movement disorder like Parkinson’s disease, the easiest things can be challenging – or even dangerous.

Symptoms

• Shaking or tremors
• Muscle rigidity
• Loss of balance
• Slow movements
• Stooped posture
• Loss of fine motor skills
• Arms that won’t swing when you wake up
• Depression
• Sleep problems
• Difficulty with speech or swallowing

Services

If you or someone you love has a movement disorder, your Aurora team, which includes neurologists and neurosurgeons, will work with you to tailor a treatment plan to meet your needs.

Treatments may include:

• Medication: to manage symptoms
• Lifestyle changes: Eating right, exercising and relaxation therapy
• Rehabilitation services: Physical, occupational and speech therapists can help improve balance, walking, fitness, flexibility, handwriting, speaking and more.
• Support: Counseling services and specialized support groups to help a person cope with emotional challenges.
• Surgery: Deep brain stimulation or DBS is a procedure in which a neurosurgeon implants an electrode in the brain to help control the body’s movements.
• Clinical trials: Innovative new treatments