Pain and Parkinson’s Disease - Talk to Your Healthcare Team
People living with Parkinson’s disease may experience slightly different presentations of the disease and each require their own medically guided approach to managing their symptoms. One of the effects Parkinson’s disease has on people is the presentation of pain. Through exploring how pain is managed we can better understand how to address the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease that may not always get as much attention. Researchers Naisby and associates (2022) mentioned in their research how 50-63% of participants experienced pain but were not receiving any treatment to manage it. Additionally, their research showed that 50% of individual had pain on a daily basis. Many participants of the study mentioned their pain had a major impact on their wellbeing, ability to do daily activities, and even affected their social lives.
Understanding the types of pain associated with Parkinson’s disease can be helpful so you know how to bring up your concerns to the primary doctor helping you manage Parkinson’s disease. They include:
Musculoskeletal Pain – Pain that effects muscles and bones, and usually a result of muscle tone, rigidity, muscle tightness, posture changes and other causes.
Dystonic Pain – Pain that occurs as a result of uncontrolled or involuntary muscle contractions or spasms.
Neuropathic Pain – Pain that originates from the nerves due to compression, inflammation or pressure onto the nerves. This may be due to prolonged sitting positions or poor posture aggravating the sciatic nerve, or other nerves.
Central Pain – Pain that is a result of Parkinson’s disease itself and its effect on the nerve pathways
There are different approaches to managing pain associated with Parkinson’s disease, but ultimately, they are dependent on understanding the causes of pain themselves. It is important to have a conversation with your healthcare team in order to better target the pain and improve your overall wellbeing. Although one’s pain may not be completely gone, having proper treatment and understanding can greatly help manage it.
Naisby J, Amjad A, Ratcliffe N, et al. A Survey of People With Parkinson’s and Their Carers: The Management of Pain in Parkinson’s. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. 2022;35(4):613-621. doi:10.1177/08919887211023592
