What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Parkinson's Disease
Chapter One
What Is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease cannot take away your hope ... or your
relationships ... or your dreams ... or your faith. Parkinson's
disease cannot take away your spirit.
-Jill Marjama-Lyons
Parkinson's disease was first described in 1817 by James Parkinson,
and the disease is named after him. In his classic essay The Shaking
Palsy, he described the three most prominent features of Parkinson's
disease:
Tremor, a rhythmic shaking of a part of the body such as the arm,
leg, or chin;
Rigidity, an increase in muscle tone or muscle stiffness; and
Bradykinesia, slowness of movement-for example, walking, writing,
or getting out of a chair.
While the actual mechanism behind the disease wasn't understood by
Parkinson, experts today understand that Parkinson's disease occurs
when a group of cells deep in the middle of the brain-in an area
called the substantia nigra compacta (SNc)- begin to malfunction and
eventually die. These brain cells, kn ... read full excerpt from: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Parkinson's Disease: A Holistic Program for Optimal Wellness ebook
