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Parkinson’s Disease—Going Beyond the Tremor

We conducted a large survey of people who have Parkinson’s disease (PD), and asked many questions about what it’s like living with a chronic health condition that affects people so uniquely. Here are the highlights from what our community shared with us:

Going Beyond the Tremor

Tremor may be mistaken for other conditions

Many symptoms of PD overlap with other conditions, which can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis. About one-third of respondents initially received an inaccurate diagnosis, including essential tremor (31%), depression/anxiety (27%), and benign-essential tremor (15%).

Going Beyond the Tremor

People with Parkinson's struggle with unique symptoms

Parkinson's is a highly variable disease, meaning that different people have different combinations of symptoms, and those symptoms can be at varying severity levels.

Going Beyond the Tremor

People with PD tend to experience a myriad of symptoms that go well beyond the typical tremor and other motor symptoms. There are also considerable differences among men and women and their experiences with PD symptoms!

Going Beyond the Tremor

It can be frustrating coping with a disease that encompasses such a wide range of symptoms. Many people feel that dealing with these symptoms can be physically and emotionally draining

Going Beyond the Tremor

Many with Parkinson's exercise to help manage symptoms

While exercise is important for everyone, it plays a crucial role in people with PD. Regular exercise can be essential for people with PD to maintain balance and mobility, and it may help slow the progression of the disease.

Going Beyond the Tremor

The most common types of exercise are walking (64%, flexibility exercises or stretching (53%), biking (35%), gait and balancing training (28%), and strength/resistance training (26%). Women are more likely to exercise 2-3 days per week or more to control their symptoms than men (71% vs. 55%).

Going Beyond the Tremor

The Parkinson’s Disease In America 2017 online survey gathered insights from 1,152 individuals currently suffering from Parkinson’s disease to better understand their symptoms and management of this condition, as well as the impact on their lives.

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