EAST WINDSOR (April 4, 2019) – April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and awareness is key to improving care and advancing research toward a cure as over one million people will be living with Parkinson’s disease by the year 2020.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder and is a neuro-degenerative disease whereby cells responsible for producing dopamine die off in the substantia nigra area of the brain. Dopamine is essential for movement as it acts as a transmitter for signals from the brain to other parts of the body.
The average age of someone diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease is 56. Around 4 percent of Parkinson’s patients are diagnosed before the age of 50 and it’s considered young-onset if diagnosed before the age of 40. There is no blood test or scan that can diagnose Parkinson’s disease. Doctors look for four classic symptoms of the disease before reaching a diagnosis: tremors, rigidity in the wrist and elbow joints, lack or slowness of movement, and an unstable posture.
Read more Parkinson’s disease facts here…
The Fresh River Healthcare team specializes in the treatment and management of movement disorders. Whether you are in the early or advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, Fresh River’s inter-disciplinary team will help you get the most out of each day. We will create a treatment plan specific to your needs with careful attention to the effectiveness of medications. Fresh River provides Movement Disorder programs for Parkinson’s disease on an inpatient and outpatient basis. Learn more about it by clicking here…
To learn more about PD awareness, visit https://parkinson.org/parkinsons-awareness-month. Call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) or email gro.nosnikrap@enilpleh for current disease information and emotional support