Treatments for this disease vary. There are various ways to control the progression of symptoms, and some have even brought back quality of life for a long period of time. However, there is no ‘cure’ to parkinson’s. One of the most common treatment option is prescription drugs. These include, but are not limited to: Artane, Azilect, Cogentin, Comtan, Dopar, Larodopa, Mirapex, Neupro, Requip, Sinemet, and Tasmar. Each of these are designed to maintain motor function and prolong the more negative stages of parkinson’s. If any of those are ineffective of a stronger method of treatment is necessary, a doctor may suggest surgery. This of course depends on several aspects, medical history, symptoms, etc. There are four different types of surgery for Parkinson’s. Deep brain
THE PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE 4 …show more content…
Thalamotomy is focusing of the thalamus, destroying it in order to block the abnormal brain activity from affecting the muscles, causing the tremor. However, this is the only use for the surgery and because of this, is not normally suggested for Parkinson’s patients. Pallidotomy and Thalamotomy are rarely done today, due to the high risk factor and convenience of brain stimulation which is a less invasive and safer method. There is a non-invasive surgical approach called Gamma Knife. This is usually reserved for those who don’t have the option of another surgery or cannot take medication because of other health issues. The ‘gamma knife’ is a machine that contains powerful gamma radiation beams. Using this method allows doctors to get better margins on the diseased area of the brain. The procedure takes only 15-40 minutes and allows the patient to be more comfortable. Serious side effects and complication are incredibly rare. Alternative treatments to this disease have been suggested as well. Vitamin E is said to reverse the effects but is not fully supported by the scientific
THE PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE 4 …show more content…
Thalamotomy is focusing of the thalamus, destroying it in order to block the abnormal brain activity from affecting the muscles, causing the tremor. However, this is the only use for the surgery and because of this, is not normally suggested for Parkinson’s patients. Pallidotomy and Thalamotomy are rarely done today, due to the high risk factor and convenience of brain stimulation which is a less invasive and safer method. There is a non-invasive surgical approach called Gamma Knife. This is usually reserved for those who don’t have the option of another surgery or cannot take medication because of other health issues. The ‘gamma knife’ is a machine that contains powerful gamma radiation beams. Using this method allows doctors to get better margins on the diseased area of the brain. The procedure takes only 15-40 minutes and allows the patient to be more comfortable. Serious side effects and complication are incredibly rare. Alternative treatments to this disease have been suggested as well. Vitamin E is said to reverse the effects but is not fully supported by the scientific