Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes uncontrollable movements. Though there’s no cure for Parkinson’s disease, the team at the Brain and Spine Center of South Florida in Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, offers conservative and surgical treatment options to control symptoms, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). For comprehensive Parkinson’s disease care from a highly skilled team, call or schedule a consultation online today.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes uncontrollable movements like tremor, shaking, and muscle stiffness. It’s a progressive condition and symptoms worsen over time, causing problems with balance, walking, and talking.

Parkinson’s disease occurs when the area of the brain that controls movement — substantia nigra — becomes impaired or dies. The nerve cells in this area of the brain produce a chemical called dopamine that controls motor movement. 

When this part of your brain fails to produce enough dopamine, your body has a harder time controlling movements. 

Parkinson’s disease also affects the nerve endings that produce norepinephrine, which is a chemical that controls your heart rate and blood pressure.

What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease symptoms develop gradually and may go unnoticed during the early stages of the disease. There are four main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:

• Tremor in the hands, arms, legs, or head
• Muscle stiffness
• Slowed movement
• Poor balance and coordination

These symptoms usually start on one side of the body or in one limb. Over time, the symptoms affect both sides of the body but remain more severe on one side.

People with Parkinson’s disease also have non-movement-related symptoms like depression, urinary problems, and constipation. 

What are the treatments for Parkinson’s disease?

Treatment for Parkinson’s disease focuses on controlling symptoms. These treatments include:

Medication

Medications for Parkinson’s disease increase dopamine levels in the brain by stimulating the production or decreasing the breakdown of the brain chemical. The team may also prescribe medications to help reduce involuntary movement and muscle stiffness.

Deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease who no longer respond to medications. For this treatment, your neurosurgeon places electrodes into your brain that connect to a device in the chest. 

The device sends painless electrical pulses to the brain to control motor movement.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)

HIFU is a noninvasive alternative to deep brain stimulation. For this treatment, the neurosurgeons use ultrasound energy to create a lesion in the part of the brain causing the abnormal movement. The Brain and Spine Center of South Florida is one of only a few providers that offer HIFU for Parkinson’s disease.

To learn more about treatment options for Parkinson’s disease, call the Brain and Spine Center of South Florida or schedule an appointment online today.