Understanding PD

      
     

    
    

National Parkinson
Foundation Forums



Ask the Doctor

Ask the Pharmacist

Ask the Nutritionist

Ask the Speech Clinician

Ask the Surgical Team 

  

Find an Exercise Class

 

Managing Parkinson's Disease initially involves finding a neurologist who specializes in the treatment of movement disorders and determining an appropriate course of treatment. Symptoms can be managed through medication, exercise and therapy, nutrition, and in some cases, surgical techniques, such as deep-brain stimulation. Patients and their families can further manage the disease by staying informed about the latest research and treatment options, participating in clinical trials, and joining support groups where those in similar circumstances can share helpful advice.

Neurologists and Movement Disorder Specialists


The following paragraph is excerpted from the Parkinson Association of the Rockies website at:
www.parkinsonrockies.org/patients/treatments/md-referral

Finding the right doctor is an important part of your treatment.  If at all possible, make an appointment with a movement disorders specialist. A movement disorders specialist is a neurologist who has taken additional training in the subspecialty in neurology called movement disorders (as compared to other subspecialties in neurology). Movement disorders specialists are most often also involved in research and/or teaching in addition to their clinical concerns and are more typically found at major medical institutions. Such professionals typically follow a greater number of patients with these disorders and are generally more experienced in the use of the various medications compared to a general neurologist, an internist or general practitioner.

Find a Movement Disorder Specialist in Your Area



Partners in Parkinson's is a health initiative providing educational tools and resources for the Parkinson's community.  It was formed through a partnership between The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and AbbVie. 

The Partners in Parkinson's website provides a Movement Disorder Specialist Finder tool, created in collaboration with the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.  To find a specialist in your area, visit
www.partnersinparkinsons.org/find-movement-disorder-specialist.




The American Academy of Neurology website can also help you locate a movement disorder specialist in your area.  

Visit http://patients.aan.com/ and select the specialty "Movement Disorders" or "Parkinson's Disease" and specify your state OR city/state to view specialists in your area.


Treatments

The following page from the Parkinson's Disease Foundation website is an excellent source of information on medications and treatments.


Parkinson's Disease Foundation>Understanding Parkinson's>What is Parkinson's>Medications & Treatments

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The following pages from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research website are another excellent reference for understanding the motor and non-motor symptoms of PD and treatment options, including medication, exercise, DBS, and more. 

The Michael J. Fox Foundation>Understanding Parkinsons>Living with PD

The Michael J. Fox Foundation>Understanding Parkinsons/Living with PD>Symptoms

The Michael J. Fox Foundation>Understanding Parkinsons>Living with PD>Medication

The Michael J. Fox Foundation>Understanding Parkinsons>Living with PD/Exercise

The Michael J. Fox Foundation>Understanding Parkinsons>Living with PD/Deep Brain Stimulation

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Rainbow Series Educational Manuals 

NPF produces a variety of free print publications for patients and caregivers in English and Spanish. These publications can be ordered from NPF's online store, and shipped to you free of charge, or in most cases, viewed and printed from the Adobe Acrobat version.

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The American Parkinson Disease Association offers a set of publications for patients covering many aspects of PD.  The publications can be accessed by clicking here, where they are available for download.  You can also receive print versions by mail by completing APDA's online order form.