symptoms of parkinsons disease : Parkinson's disease

Treatment

There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. Currently, the best treatments for PD involve the use of conventional drugs such as dopamine antagonists and levodopa. However, therapies such as acupuncture, massage, and yoga can help relieve some symptoms of the disease and loosen tight muscles. Some healthcare professionals have used herbal and dietary therapies, including amino acid supplementation, essential fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6, fish oil , and flax oil), antioxidant (carotenoids, bioflavenoids, vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and zinc) therapy, B vitamin supplementation, and calcium and magnesium supplementation, to treat PD. Anyone using these therapies in conjunction with conventional drugs should check with their doctor to avoid possible adverse interactions. For example, vitamin B6 (either as a supplement or from foods such as whole grains, bananas, beef, fish, liver, potatoes) can interfere with the action of L-dopa when the drug is taken without carbidopa.

Meditation and movement therapies such as Feldenkrais, t'ai chi , qigong, and yoga regain focus.

No evidence indicates that vitamin or mineral supplements can have an effect on the disease other than in their improvement of general health. No antioxidants used to date have shown promise as a treatment except for selegiline, an MAO-B inhibitor.

Regular, moderate exercise has been shown to improve motor function without an increase in medication for a person with PD. Exercise helps maintain range of motion in stiff muscles, improve circulation, and stimulate appetite. An exercise program designed by a physical therapist has the best chance of meeting the specific needs of the person with PD. A physical therapist may also suggest strategies for balance compensation and techniques to stimulate movement during slowdowns or freezes.

Practitioners of Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine, have prescribed mucuna seeds (Mucuna pruriens) to treat Parkinson's disease (or Kampavata) for over 4,000 years. Mucuna contains a natural form of L-dopa, a powerful anti-parkinsons drug.
Allopathic treatment

Most drugs treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease only, although one drug, selegiline (Eldepryl), may somewhat slow the degeneration of the substantia nigra.
Drugs

The pharmacological treatment of Parkinson's disease is complex. While there are a large number of drugs that can be effective, their effectiveness varies with the patient, disease progression, and the length of time the drug has been used. Dose-related side effects may preclude the use of the most effective dose, or require the introduction of a new drug to counteract them. There are five classes of drugs currently used to treat PD.
Drugs that replace dopamine

One drug that helps replace dopamine is levodopa (L-dopa). L-dopa is a derivative of dopamine, and is converted into dopamine by the brain. It may be started when symptoms begin, or when they become serious enough to interfere with work or daily living. L-dopa therapy usually remains effective for five years or longer. Following this, many patients develop motor fluctuations, including peak-dose dyskinesias (abnormal movements such as tics, twisting, or restlessness), rapid loss of response after dosing (known as the on-off phenomenon), and unpredictable drug response. Higher doses are usually tried, but may lead to an increase in dyskinesias. In addition, side effects of L-dopa include nausea and vomiting, and low blood pressure upon standing (orthostatic hypotension), which can cause dizziness. These effects usually lessen after several weeks of therapy.

L-dopa is an amino acid, and is absorbed by the digestive system by the same transporters that pick up other amino acids broken down from proteins in the diet. Limiting protein, under the direction of the physician or a nutritionist, can improve the absorption of L-dopa.

As of early 2000, L-dopa had been the front line medication of choice for treating Parkinson's disease for over 30 years. However, a study published in the May 2000 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine followed 300 Parkinson's patients in locations throughout the world and found that for young patients in the early stages of the disease, treatment was more effective with a class of drugs known as dopamine agonists .