How Do You Know you have Parkinson's Disease?

The most common question that people seem to ask is, "How do I know that I have Parkinson's Disease?" I'm going to try to answer that to the best of my ability.

First, there is no clinical test available to diagnosis PD. A true, definite diagnosis can only be confirmed by an autopsy. Rather than a clinical test doctors rely on the presence of several symptoms and ruling out other possible causes.

Generally the diagnosis is made on the presence of at least 2 of the following symptoms: Tremor, Muscle Rigidity, and Slow Movement (Bradykinesia). Several other tests (MRI, CT Scan, etc.) are sometimes conducted to rule out other possible causes. The diagnosis should be made by a neurologist, not a general practitioner, and it is often recommended that a second opinion be sought, preferably by a movement disorder specialist. Due to the lack of a definitive test there are a decent number of misdiagnoses.

Part of the diagnosis can also be to watch how the symptoms progress over time and also to see if the patient responds to Parkinson's medications.

If you think you may have PD, but are not sure, here are a couple of websites that might help you understand the disease and its symptoms in more detailed.

http://michaeljfox.org/living_aboutParkinsons_parkinsons101.cfm
http://www.wemove.org/par/par_dia.html
http://www.neurologychannel.com/parkinsonsdisease/symptoms.shtml


The best advice is probably to consult with a good specialist in your area.