The inability of Parkinson s patients to send messages to other nerve cells results in abnormal movements, sometimes too much movement is seen, as in uncontrollable tremor, and sometimes not enough, as in difficulty initiating movements, and stiffness. Parkinson s condition usually begins slowly and it may be months or even years before the patient recognises that something is wrong. The first symptom to appear is often a slight shaking in the hands or fingers which gradually develops into a rhythmic involuntary tremor over a period of time. Gradually, the ability to perform intricate movements becomes slower and more difficult.
Muscles become stiff and rigid making movement awkward.
The three major features of the condition are tremor, rigidity of muscles and a slowing of movement. It is important to note that all three symptoms may not be present or may not appear with equal intensity. Furthermore, all patients with tremor do not necessarily have Parkinson's. The rate of progression of symptoms varies greatly from person to person but is usually slow, so that in some patients there is little interference with normal activities for several years. Parkinson's is a chemical deficiency disorder of the brain.