Parkinsonism is a neurodegenerative disorders. It is a disease of basal ganglia and extrapyramidal  system.

It is a progressive disorder and characterized by

Poverty of the movement

Rigidity of muscles

Tremor

Loss of postural reflexes

Incidence- About 0.2/1000 annually

Prevalence 1.5/1000 in U.K.

Age - over the age of 55 years commonly affected.

Etiology

1. Idiopathic- primary/paralysis agitans

2. Secondary

(A) Drugs

* Reserpine 

* Phenothiazin.

(B) Infection 

* Encephalitis

* Dementia

* AIDS

(C) Vascular

* Hypertension

* Atherosclerosis

(D) Toxic

* MTPT

* Cyanide

* Methanol

(E) Head injury

(F) Degenerative

* Pick's disease

* Alzheimer's disease

3. Parkinsonism plus syndrome

(A)  Sporadic

Progressive supranuclear palsy

Shy-drager syndrom

Striatonigral degeneration

(B)  Inherited

Huntington's disease

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy

Site of lesion

Substantia Nigra and corpus striatum.

Clinical feature

General

Expressionless face 

Greasy skin

Soft, rapid, indistinct speech

Impaired postural reflex

Gait

Slow to start walking

Reduce arm swing

Impaired balance and turning

Bradykinesia

Difficulty in initiating voluntary movement Difficulty in getting up from chair Slowness of movement Take increase time in Daily activities Impaired fine movement, especially of fingers

Rigidity

* Cogwheel type, mostly upper limb

When tremors is superior imposed on rigidity.

* Plastic (lead pipe type), mostly legs (straight) Because of increase muscle tone is present throughout the range of movement.

Postural abnormalities

Flexed posture of the trunk and limbs

Voice is slow

Increased sweating on face

Handwriting becomes small and undity

Constipation

Frequency of urination.

Non specific symptoms

Tiredness

Aching pain

Slowness of mind 

Depression

Tendency to fall back

Telegraph fall (stiff)

Tremors 

Rigidity

Akinasia (lack of movement)

May be unilateral and bilateral micrographia.

Management

Levodopa

Anticholinergic agent

Dopamine receptor agonists

Physiotherapy

Speech therapy

Good nutrition and food

Amantadine

Surgery

Surgical destruction of Basal Ganglia    

Stereotatic thalamotomy

Homoeopathic medicine for Parkinson's disease

1. Argentum nitricum
2. Gelsemium
3. Causticum
4. Zincum met
5. Merc sol
6. Plumbum met
7. Agaricus

Argentum Nitricum

Argentum nitricum is best suited to the person who experience trembling of legs and lack of control and balance while walking. Emaciation is more marked in the lower extremities. Argentum nitricum is the top grade medicine for Parkinson's disease. Craving for sweets is the keynote symptom of this remedy. The patient keeps on falling due to impaired balance and has very unsteady gait. The rigidity of calf muscle is always present where the muscle is the back of the lower leg get hardened and stiff, adding more to suffering while walking. There is a great weakness in lower extremities with trembling. Cannot walk with eyes closed. Pain in the back when patient rises from the seat. Cold drinks and ice creams are irresistible. Adapted to impulsive, apprehensive people having a  carbonitrogenoid or hydrogenoid constitution. Withered dried up old looking patient due to disease caused by continued mental exertion.

The patient is hot but desire of cold things, cold drinks.

Very irritable.

Great longing of fresh air.

Anger easily.

Defective coordinator of muscles.

Patient things that his anxiety, nervousness, and worries causes all his  problems.

Gelsemium

Tremor is the keynote symptom of this remedy. Muscles lose the power to contract at the patient will.

There is extreme prostration and weakness. Thick speech with tongue as though unwisely. Heavyness of limbs, painful and unable to move. There is excessive sensitive condition of nerves.

Patient is generally thirstless. Desire to be quite, feels to weak to move. In slow pulse of old age Gelsemium is very useful. Fears that unless constant motion is kept up, the heart would stop beating.

Zincum met

Best suited to the person who constant movement of feet.

Tremors of hand

Restlessness

Depression

Causticum

Causticum is very useful remedy for Parkinson's disease. There is great restless of feet.

Agaricus

Agaricus is best suited to person who is suffering from jerking, twitching, trembling, and itching

Merc sol

Trembling of extremities especially hands, paralysis agitans. There is excessive weakness, patient is unable to hold a glass of water.

Best suited to the light haired persons with a lax skin and lax muscles. Patient is easily frightened with rapid and hurried speech. Lack of defensive power. Profuse perspiration attended nearly all complaints.

The selection of homoeopathic remedies based on symptom similarities and doses according to the Susceptibility of patient.

Don't take homoeopathic medicine without any prescription / without any advise of physician