- Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw or head
In this people experience tremors in hands, arms, jaw and also in the head. This tremor is more like an involuntary rhythmic shaking or movement in the body. Tremors or shakiness can also be felt in the chin, lips, face and legs.
While experts say this to be the first symptom of the condition, it persists in almost 80% of the patients. These tremors can be frustrating, but they are not disabling in nature.
Stiffness or tightness in the limbs is often seen as a symptom of Parkinson’s disease. As per Parkinson’s Foundation: “Rigidity, while seldom the main symptom early in Parkinson’s, is experienced as a stiffness of the arms or legs beyond what would result from normal aging or arthritis. Some people call it “tightness” in their limbs. Stiffness can occur on one or both sides of the body and contribute to a decreased range of motion. This can lead to problems with achiness or pain in the muscles or joints affected.”
Since the responsible nerve cells, which regulate the movement in a body, die out leading to Parkinson’s disease, the movement of a person slows down. This condition is called Bradykinesia. It is one of the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
There can be several reasons for Bradykinesia, but it is mostly associated with Parkinson’s disease.
- Loss of balance and coordination
During the onset of the disease, the patient falls down often. Due to impaired balance and coordination, the patient loses balance and falls down. With the increase in the risk of falling down, the risk of disability due to the fall also increases. This can have a detrimental effect on the individual. As per a study, frequent falling is caused by postural instability, which is not reversible with dopaminergic therapy.
