Treatment for Parkinson’s disease in LA
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, each year, around 10 million people develop Parkinson’s disease worldwide including 60,000 Americans.
While there is no cure for the disease, there are numerous treatments and medications that help suppress debilitating symptoms.
Doctors diagnose Parkinson’s disease based on physical and neurological examinations, symptoms, and the patient’s medical history. The doctor may also order PET scans, MRI, brain ultrasounds, CT, or blood tests to rule out underlying conditions that may be causing Parkinson’s disease.
Since there is no single test that confirms the existence of PD, doctors and specialists also prescribe medication such as Rytary or Sinemet. If the patient shows signs of improvement, that also confirms the presence of Parkinson’s disease.
The most common method of dealing with Parkinson’s disease is with oral medications. These include the following:
- Levodopa medication which consists of a natural chemical that is converted into dopamine.
- Dopamine agonists that unlike levodopa don’t turn into dopamine but instead mimic the effects of dopamine in the brain.
- Amantadine medication to help with the early-stage symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
The most popular surgical procedure used to deal with Parkinson’s disease is DBS or Deep Brain Stimulation. In this procedure, doctors insert electrodes into a specific region of the brain which emits electrical pulses aimed at reducing the symptoms. DBS treatment is best suited for patients with an advanced form of Parkinson’s disease.
Alternative therapies—not necessarily backed by science but still encouraged by specialists—include exercise, massage, and yoga. However, patients must be careful not to over-exert themselves during physical exercise.
Dr. Farzin Pedouim is a board-certified neurologist and Parkinson’s disease specialist. He utilizes effective and proven methods of treating Parkinson’s disease symptoms to provide relief to his patients.