Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease
Currently, there are no treatments available to cure
Parkinson’s disease
or to completely halt its progression.
If you have an early, mild case of Parkinson’s disease, your doctor may recommend that you start your treatment program with only lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. As the disease progresses, your doctor may prescribe medicine to:
- Treat symptoms, such as rigidity and slowness
- Offset the side effects of the drugs used to treat Parkison’s disease (eg, abnormal or hyperactive movements)
- Help you cope with other aspects of the disease (eg, insomnia , inattentiveness, depression , anxiety )
Other treatments may be recommended if your symptoms begin to interfere with your daily functioning. Treatment options involve the following:
Lifestyle changesMedicationsSurgeryOther treatmentsAlternative and complementary therapies
References
American Association of Neurological Surgeons website. Available at: http://www.aans.org/ .
Conn HF, Rakel RE. Conn’s Current Therapy 2002. 54th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company; 2002.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ .
Parkinson’s Disease Foundation website. Available at: http://www.pdf.org/ .