People who have lived with Parkinson’s disease usually find at some point that PD is a moving target. What works for someone with their PD newly diagnosed may not work in several years, and using medications to control symptoms is often a delicate balance, changing just when you think you’ve figured it all out.
We can’t avoid the aging process, but it’s something to take into account when you notice changes in your symptoms. The medications you use daily can work for some time, but slight changes in the progression of PD can affect how those medications work, so tweaking or stronger changes may be in order.
To control the common experiences of PD motor symptoms, most people find that a good working partnership with both your medical doctor and/or neurologist, plus experts in movement such as an occupational (OT) or physical therapist (PT) will pay off. Paying attention to small changes or details and reporting them to your team can better keep your symptoms controlled.
The Parkinson’s Foundation has an interesting discussion of these issues on their website at the address below. If you want even more information on the topic, go to the Expert Briefing series of the same title; there is a link within the article to the webinar available on Youtube.
Symptom Management: Is it PD, Medication or Aging?
Interfaith Caregivers 