In a movement disorder, there is either:

• An excess of involuntary movement, like a shake in your hand when resting
• An excess of voluntary movement, like a shake in your hand when moving to pick something up
• Reduced automatic movements, like blinking
• Slowed voluntary movements, like winking

What is Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders. It's due to the death of the brain's dopamine-producing cells. If the brain lacks dopamine, the cells that control movement can't talk to the muscles.

People with PD slowly develop worsening shaking, stiffness, slowness, and trouble walking. It can also lead to changing behavior, sleep problems, depression, memory trouble, and fatigue.

You may start to notice these changes on one side of the body, but they can affect both sides.

Other types of movement disorders include: 

• Dystonias: Painful twisting of your muscles and repeated movements that are out of a person's control
• Chorea: Involuntary, irregular, or unpredictable movements of your arms, legs, and facial muscles
• Huntington's disease: A genetic condition that kills brain cells that control voluntary movement
• Ataxia: The loss of muscle coordination
• Tremor and essential tremor: Trembling or shaking in one or more body parts that's out of control
• Myoclonus: Sudden, brief muscle twitches in a single muscle, a group, or the entire body
• Tics: Sudden, repeated movements or sounds beyond a person's control
• Tourette syndrome: An urge to make sudden twitches, movements, or sounds
• Restless legs syndrome: An uncontrollable urge to move your legs, especially at night
• Stiff person syndrome: A rare cause of muscle stiffness and painful spasms
• Gait problems: Abnormal walking patterns from injuries, joint pain, or nerve damage
• Medicine-induced: Repeated movements in the body due to long-term use of certain medicines
• Spasticity: Increased muscle tone that leads to stiffness and exaggerated leg reflexes

There's no cure for PD. We aim to slow the progress of the disease and reduce symptoms. We offer the full spectrum of testing and treatment with medical and surgical care options.

Medicines

Medicines that target the lack of dopamine in the brain can improve the shaking and movement symptoms of PD. The primary medicine for PD is levodopa, which the brain turns into dopamine.

This and other drugs replace or retain dopamine in the brain. These can reduce movement-related symptoms. They can't fix the problem causing PD or stop the disease from getting worse. 

Other medicines to treat motor symptoms include:

• Drugs that tell the brain to make more dopamine
• Drugs that stop the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, causing it to stay in brain cells
• Drugs to help reduce movements, tremors, and muscle rigidity
• Drugs to treat depressed mood and thinking problems
• Drugs to relieve pain
• Drugs to help with sleep problems

Procedures

These noninvasive options can reduce PD symptoms:

• Botox injections can help with symptoms, including dystonia, drooling, and urinary incontinence. Botox weakens the muscles, stopping them from contracting involuntarily.
• Focused ultrasound for essential tremor and tremor-dominant PD. It's an option for patients whose symptoms aren't fixed with medicine. It uses sound waves guided by MRI to treat deep in the brain with no incisions or implants.

Surgery

Not everyone with PD needs surgery. It may be an option for some people. It won't cure PD but may help ease symptoms. Types of surgery include:

• Deep brain stimulation: A surgeon inserts wires into your brain that conduct electrical signals. This stimulates specific areas in the brain and helps stop movement symptoms.
• Lesion surgery: A surgeon targets specific areas of the brain linked to PD symptoms to help improve tremor, rigidity, gait, and balance.

Therapies 

As the disease gets worse, you may need more support. These therapies can help improve symptoms and help you cope. These may include:

• A social worker or other counselor will set you up with other help and services
• Exercises like yoga to increase stretching and flexibility
• Massage therapy to release the muscles
• Physical and occupational therapy to help you do more on your own and reduce the risk of falls
• Speech therapy and vocal exercises to improve speech and swallowing
• Support groups to help you feel less alone
• Workouts to strengthen muscles and improve balance and coordination