Parkinson disease or PD usually does not affect patients' life expectancy but it has a huge impact on patients' quality of life. Therefore controlling symptoms will translate to an acceptable normal daily life for patients.
Recently Botox injection has turned out to another possibility for patients not responding reasonably to mainstream drug treatments.
Botox injection relieves symptoms related to dystonia. Dystonia is involuntary muscle spasm which can cause uncontrollable twisting, repetitive movement, abnormal posture and can affect any part of body even eyelid and vocal cord. It could be very debilitating and affect vision and speech, walking, writing and any kind of movement.
Botox injections block the communication between nerve and muscle and reduce abnormal movements. It is a local injection and a non-invasive procedure.The injection location can be face, eyelid, arm, leg, etc. and it depends on the affected muscles. The results usually last 4-6 months.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure to treat PD disabling neurological symptoms such as tremor, stiffness, rigidity, slowed movement and walking problems.
During this procedure surgeon implant a battery operated wire-size neurostimulator in deep brain (Thalamus or surrounded area ). This device stimulated the targeted area and blocks abnormal nerve signals which cause debilitating symptoms.
Before the procedure surgeon uses MRI, CT or microelctrode recording to identify the precise brain target to implant the device. The procedure does not damage other healthy brain tissue and is adjustable and reversible.
This method reduces patients' symptoms and improves his quality of life considerably. Most of the patients after surgery can reduce their medications. For some patients it works like a miracle.
There are ongoing clinical trials accepting patients for DBS and also there are very professional clinics performing this procedure.