Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive, neurological disorder.
Symptoms are many and can be different for each person.
Parkinson's strikes over one million Americans - more than those affected by multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig's Disease combined. Commonly believed to affect only the older population, it can also occur in younger people in their 20's, 30's, and 40's. The cause of primary Parkinson's disease is unknown. It is known that symptoms occur when there is a degeneration of the brain cells in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These brain cells produce and store the chemical transmitter, dopamine, which transmits messages in the brain for proper body movements.