Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs a person's motor skills, speech, and other mobility functions. Characterized by a group of conditions called motor system disorders, Parkinson's disease results due to a loss of dopamine producing brain cells. Dopamine is the chemical in the brain that allows for smooth coordinated function of the body's muscles and movement of the extremities. This loss of dopamine occurs when these nerve cells (neurons) in a vital region of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. This very small area of the brain is responsible for producing dopamine to the brain.

Parkinson's disease develops gradually, with the primary symptoms resulting from the loss of dopamine producing brain cells. These symptoms include tremors (shaking), slowness of movement, difficulty with balance, loss of coordination, speech changes, and rigidity (stiffness) of muscles and limbs. Typically, symptoms will begin on one side of the body and remain worse on that side throughout the stages of the disease. In the later, more advanced stages of Parkinson's disease, the person will often experience dementia, depression, and a temporary, involuntary inability to move called freezing episodes.

A variety of Dycem products is ideal for persons with limited hand control, Parkinson's disease or spacticity.