Parkinson's disease and osteoarthritis have overlapping symptoms.
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative nervous system disorder through which loss of dopamine in the brain can cause tremors, body stiffness, slowness of movement and impaired balance. Degenerative joint disease, commonly known at osteoarthritis, causes a breakdown in cartilage. Both diseases are idiopathic and may cause common range of motion limits and motor skill impairment. Patients with Parkinson's disease may present with osteoarthritis symptoms before complete diagnosis reveals the neurodegenerative disorder.
Joint Pain
Parkinson's patients may experience degenerative joint conditions.
Parkinson's disease patients often suffer from muscoskeletal pain episodes in the legs, lower back, shoulders and neck. There is not always a relationship between joint pain and motor skill complication, so factors beyond the disease itself may contribute to painful sensations. Certain bodily actions common to Parkinson's patients, such as stooped posture or irregular gait, can contribute to arthritic conditions.
Range of Motion
Range of motion impairment is a secondary symptom.
A study published in the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association found that patients with early to mid-level Parkinson's disease had diminished range of spinal motion while twisting, bending and reaching from the trunk. Osteoarthritis patients often suffer from limited range of motion due to degenerative disease of the hips and spine. These motion impairments may be a secondary symptom of Parkinson's disease.
Tremor
Tremor alone should not determine diagnosis.
The tremor present among patients with Parkinson's disease often happens in the hands or fingers as a resting tremor. Osteoarthritis patients have movement limitations in body parts, including the hands, that may cause a slight tremor upon movement. Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease does not rest on presence of tremor alone.
Medication
Daily drug therapy can both help and hinder the overall condition.
There in no cure for Parkinson's disease, but medication can help restore dopamine levels in the brain and restrict disease progression. The drug levodopa is a substance that turns into dopamine in the body. A side effect of levodopa is dyskinesia or spastic, involuntary movement. Over time dyskinesia can affect the smooth movement of joints and bring on osteoarthritis symptoms. Both Parkinson's and osteoarthritis patients use over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to manage pain.
Exercise
Regular exercise is beneficial.
While it may be difficult to think of exercise while experiencing joint pain, patients who take part in regular exercise may reduce joint disease symptoms while strengthening other parts of the body such as the heart, tendons and brain. According to studies performed by the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, exercise may influence the progression of Parkinson's disease and secondary symptoms such as joint pain.
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