Our approach to Parkinson's disease care

We understand that Parkinson's disease affects more than just your movement — it changes how you live. That's why our team focuses on you, the person, not just your condition.

We're here with compassionate, experienced care to help make your life as full and manageable as possible.

Signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative disease that affects balance and control of movements. The most common symptom is the gradual loss of muscle control. Over time, other symptoms develop, including:

• slowed movements
• difficulty with balance
• muscle rigidity (stiffness)
• impaired posture, such as dropped head or stooped posture
• trouble controlling facial muscles
• small handwriting
• resting tremor

When to seek care for Parkinson's disease

If you're experiencing movement or balance issues or any symptoms of Parkinson's disease, please reach out. We can discuss your symptoms and appropriate testing to confirm a diagnosis or rule out other conditions.

Steps to a diagnosis

Our specialists diagnose Parkinson's disease based on your medical history, current symptoms and a neurological and physical exam. The steps of a diagnosis include:

• Neurology visit: A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system. They will ask you about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical and neurological exam.
• Testing: You may need blood tests and imaging tests such as a magnetic resonance image (MRI), ultrasound of the brain or positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
• Diagnosis: Our team can confirm a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on symptoms, exam results and test results.

Our treatment options

Parkinson's disease affects everyone differently. That's why we take a personalized approach to treatment to develop a plan that's right for you.

Like most movement disorders, Parkinson’s disease doesn’t have a cure, but treatment options can help improve your symptoms and relieve pain.

• Medication: We may prescribe medications to manage symptoms and/or help improve the underlying disease.
• Surgical treatment options: Our fellowship-trained neurosurgeons will work with you to determine whether surgery is right for you. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgery that may help relieve symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved DBS treatment in 1997, and DBS has successfully treated Parkinson’s disease since 2002.
• Support programs: In addition to medications and surgery, we offer a range of programs to support you. These programs include physical therapy, aquatic therapy, neuromuscular massage, nutritional consultations, counseling, caregiver resources, speech therapy and more.
  We also offer a support group, Living Well with Parkinson's, which provides a place for you to connect with others who are living with Parkinson's disease.