Parkinson's Disease Treatments

There are several surgical options that can help alleviate Parkinson’s disease symptoms. 

Deep brain stimulation is a technique that involves implanting devices that send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain, helping to manage and reduce symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and slow movement. DBS provides a significant improvement in quality of life for many patients by modulating brain activity without destroying brain tissue. 

Other surgical techniques include removing part of the thalamus (thalamotomy) or a part of the brain called the GPi (pallidotomy) to treat tremor and other symptoms associated with PD.

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for surgery. We take a personalized approach to determine the best course of treatment for you. Your symptoms and the progression of your condition are key factors in deciding whether surgical options, combined with medical therapy, are suitable for you.

After a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, your specialist will determine if medication could help. They’ll consider:

• The degree of functional (physical and movement) impairment
• The degree of cognitive (thinking) impairment
• Ability to tolerate medication
• The advice of the attending physician

It takes time and patience to find the right medication and dosage, as no two people react the same way to a given medication. Some cause unpleasant side effects in certain people. Your doctor will help you find what works best.

UMMC is recognized as a leader in studying how exercise affects Parkinson’s disease. Our studies have shown how people with Parkinson’s disease benefit from a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching to improve cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and range of motion. 

Our specialists’ recent studies look at the effects of physical training (walking on a treadmill) paired with cognitive training (playing computer brain games) on motor and cognitive performance. 

Your doctor will help you find a program that addresses your specific needs.

We are currently the only healthcare provider in Maryland – and one of the a few in the United States – to offer an MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound (FUS). This noninvasive procedure creates a map of the brain to identify the treatment area for each patient. It can improve tremors, mobility and other physical symptoms related to Parkinson’s. 

FUS may be a treatment used for other neurological conditions, but has only been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Learn more about how it works and the symptoms it can help.

We have developed specific outpatient and inpatient therapy programs for Parkinson’s disease. These programs may help:

• Increase endurance, strength and general fitness
• Boost energy level
• Elevate mood
• Decrease anxiety

A rehab program with both physical and occupational therapy helps people learn movement strategies for everyday activities, like how to roll over and get out of bed more easily, how to get up from a chair and how to get out of a car. Therapists show people ways to complete even the simplest sounding tasks, like buttoning a shirt or cooking. They sometimes suggest devices to help, like shower grab bars, shower stools or elevated toilet seats.

Certain forms of speech therapy can also help improve voice problems.