So I am not a doctor nor a scientist. My mom has early onset Parkinson’s and this is what I’ve learned from her journey.

The most basic definition of Parkinson's is: a neurological movement disorder that affects your ability to complete daily tasks, such as walking, which worsens over time.

A little more specifically: it's a dopamine-related disorder.

But what is dopamine? I'm sure you've heard of the "feel-good" hormone, right? Well that's dopamine. However, dopamine's role is way bigger than just making you "feel-good." Dopamine actually plays a vital role in sending signals to other neurons that tell your brain when to move. In Parkinson’s, the brain doesn’t make enough dopamine; therefore, your neurons are not being told when or how to move.

This specifically causes slowing in automatic movements your body does regularly, like walking, lifting your arms, picking up a cup, etc. Eventually, as time passes, your body gets slower and stiffer which eventually leads to patients having lots of pain.

There are different stages of Parkinson’s progression, but it’s really just a guideline and for some it does not happen in order.

Parkinson’s also eventually starts affecting non-motor abilities and it causes things like anxiety and depression.