In people with Parkinson's disease, specific groups of brain cells called neurons are slowly and progressively injured, then selectively degenerate or die. This process causes the typical symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which doctors call "characteristic symptoms" because they are the major features of Parkinson's:
- They tremble involuntarily
- They find their muscles become rigid and stiff, and they lose their ability to make rapid, spontaneous movements
- They walk in a recognizable manner, with a typical gait in which the body is bent or flexed
- They may have difficulty maintaining their balance
Early Signs and Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
It is often difficult to pinpoint when a person with Parkinson's first began showing signs and symptoms of the disease. Many people vividly recall when they first noticed their tremor, but through close questioning, the physician often finds that subtle signs of the disease were present even before the tremor became noticeable.
Some of the early signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease include:
- Change in facial expression (staring, lack of blinking)
- Failure to swing one arm when walking
- Flexion (stooped) posture
- "Frozen" painful shoulder
- Limping or dragging of one leg
- Numbness, tingling, achiness or discomfort of the neck or limbs
- Softness of the voice
- Subjective sensation of internal trembling Resting tremor