| The onset of Parkinsons disease is a tragic time for | | | | to treat it and perhaps stall its development. |
| any patient and their families. As a degenerative | | | | Additionally, there are a number of support groups |
| condition, patients suffering from the condition are | | | | for both sufferers and carers, providing some much |
| faced with no hope of recovery, but rather a slow | | | | needed reassurance that all is not lost, and there are |
| and wearing process of loss of movement and | | | | still ways to work to help the condition, which can |
| co-ordination. Most notably, the condition involves the | | | | sometimes feel like a distant fantasy.A particularly |
| tremor, whereby patients can be seen trembling | | | | crushing aspect of the disease is the impact it can |
| uncontrollably, as well as loss in speech capabilities and | | | | have on a patient's everyday life. The simplest of |
| gradually all functionality in its later stages.Parkinsons | | | | physical tasks become impossible, leaving the sufferer |
| disease is a disorder which takes effect on the | | | | eventually in need of round the clock care and |
| central nervous system. A movement disorder, | | | | attention. There is a present no way of knowing |
| Parkinson's can be seen in four major symptoms; | | | | who will develop the disease, or to what extent, |
| namely rigidity of muscles, a tremor of movement, | | | | although reassuringly, scientists the world over are |
| slowing of overall movement (known as bradykinesia) | | | | desperately trying to expand their knowledge of the |
| and in certain instances loss of movement altogether. | | | | condition and look for other treatments, and possibly |
| The symptoms gradually become more and more | | | | even the elusive cure.Sadly, for patients with |
| apparent in sufferers, and are progressive, that is | | | | Parkinsons today, there is no real way out, and it's |
| patients do not recover, or get better. This | | | | best to try and remain as active and involved as |
| degenerative condition is not contagious, nor passed | | | | possible in the normal daily routine to keep up morale, |
| genetically, and very little is known about the causes | | | | and keep the patient interested in life. Such a |
| of most instances of the condition. Having said that, | | | | demoralising condition as Parkinsons requires a lot of |
| some cases can be explained through extreme drug | | | | patience, and it can be particularly hard and |
| abuse, cranial damage and other abuses of the body | | | | frustrating to see a family member descend into such |
| which have been shown to give rise to the | | | | a state. There are however, a variety of ways to |
| condition.The condition occurs as a result of the loss | | | | significantly reduce the effects of the condition, and |
| or destruction of brain cells which produce dopamine, | | | | it is advisable for anyone worried about themselves |
| a chemical associated with muscle activity. This | | | | or friend or family member to consult their physician |
| chronic condition was first discovered and charted by | | | | for more information on the condition and what can |
| James Parkinson in 1817, and concerns what he | | | | be done to curb its onset.Clive Jenkins recommends |
| labelled as his patient's 'shaking palsy'.A disease which | | | | the Parkinsons Disease Help Online website which |
| has been a mystery to scientists and physicians | | | | provides comprehensive information on all aspects of |
| across the world since its discovery, Parkinsons | | | | Parkinson's Disease. |
| disease has no known cure, although there are ways | | | | |