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 changes Medications Surgery Other treatments Alternative 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/ .

Revision Information

Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD
Review Date: 09/2012
Update Date: 00/91/2012

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.