Motion for Wellness: Integrating Physical Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease Management

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurological condition in older adults that causes motor and non-motor symptoms as well as effects. Impulse control disorders (ICDs) such as pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, compulsive sexual behaviors (hyper-sexuality), and binge eating disorder impact 13.6% of the Parkinson’s disease (PD) population. The discovery that dopamine deficiency is the primary pathogenic characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the subsequent development of levodopa have transformed the area of PD therapies. This review will discuss the significant progress that landmark discovery in the 1960s, tremendous progress has been achieved in developing new pharmaceutical and surgical methods to treat PD motor symptoms. However, we will also highlight some of the difficulties that the area of Parkinson’s disease therapies has faced over the years.