The Michael J Fox Foundation just published a booklet explaining deep brain stimulation (DBS), a surgical procedure that can help certain people with Parkinson’s disease. Click here to open it.
According to the booklet, deep brain stimulation helps take care of these symptoms:
- Slowness or lack of movement (bradykinesia and akinesia)
- Stiffness of muscles (rigidity)
- Shaking of the limbs (tremor)
- Gait problems that remain responsive to levodopa
- Mild balance problems that remain responsive to levodopa
- Motor fluctuation (variations in level of motor symptoms and their control by medication)
- Dyskinesia (involuntary, excessive movements of the body, usually occurring when medications peak)
- Dystonia (painful abnormal muscle activation that causes toe curling or twisting of hand or feet)
- Nighttime motor symptoms that emerge due to lack of frequent medication doses
- Body pain from PD (sometimes)
DBS does not really help with these symptoms:
- Speech problems
- Swallowing problems
- Cognitive problems
- Mood problems (depression, anxiety)
- Freezing of gait or other movement that occurs when medications are working at their best
- Moderate or greater balance problems
- Bladder, bowel, or sexual dysfunction
To find out more, click here!
