Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that affects movement, causing slowness, stiffness, walking and balance problems, and in later stages, tremors. Over time, patients diagnosed with PD experience a worsening of symptoms.

In the early stages of Parkinson’s, symptoms may be mild and can be easy to miss. These symptoms include:

• Slowed movement, also known as bradykinesia (steps are shorter when you walk, difficulties getting out of a chair, feet drag while walking, etc.)
• Rigid facial expressions
• Muscle stiffness that can be painful and limit your range of motion
• Changes in speech (becomes soft and slurred)
• Changes in writing (hard to write, writing becomes smaller)
• Losing your sense of smell
• Depression and emotional changes (fear, anxiety, loss of motivation)