Pain

Published by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, February 22, 2017

There are many potential causes of pain in Parkinson’s disease. This page highlights eight of them, what makes pain worse, and multiple daily approaches to pain management.

Published by American Parkinson Disease Association, August 27, 2019

This blog post, written by movement disorder specialist Dr. Rebecca Gilbert identifies four types of pain in Parkinson’s disease and discusses seven pain management options.

Published by Parkinson's Foundation

This webpage discusses various physical changes caused by Parkinson's disease, surgeries, aging that may cause pain, as well as medical therapies to relieve rigidity and muscle contractions that contribute to changes in posture, and tips for maintaining healthy bones.

Published by Parkinson's Disease Society of the United Kingdom, June 2020

This 16-page information sheet describes the types of pain associated with PD and looks at how they can be managed.

By Maria De León, MD. Published by defeatparkinsons.com, March 4, 2016

Chronic pain is pain that last more than three to six months (some say 12 months), or “pain that extends behind the expected period of healing.” This blog post explains the different types of pain caused by Parkinson’s disease and how to address pain brought on by the disease, by medications, or by comorbid disease. It is always best to treat pain before it becomes chronic.

By Parkinson Society British Columbia, November 24, 2021

Movement disorder specialist Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD, outlines how to tease apart whether pain is a symptom of PD or due to an orthopedic issue. He explains how to approach the treatment of pain in concert with your medical team, going over several treatment options. Finally, Dr. Fasano focuses on causes of and treatments for dystonia and dyskinesias. After a 40-minute talk he spends 30 minutes answering questions.

By Davis Phinney Foundation, March 2, 2022

In this 45-minute webinar movement disorder specialist Jori Fleisher, MD, emphasizes the realness of pain in Parkinson's explaining the causes of pain in Parkinson's as well as how to talk to your doctor about your pain and additional medical and non-medical management strategies.

Webinar Notes on the Stanford PD Community Blog.

By Davis Phinney Foundation, April 6, 2020

This 50-minute webinar discusses the prevalence of pain in those with PD, the structure of the pain pathway, different types of pain experienced in PD, what causes pain in early stages, how it may change as PD progresses, how pain impacts mental health, how to talk to your doctor about pain, different treatments for different types of pain (pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic), and what you can do every day to manage pain.

Webinar notes on the Stanford PD Community Blog.

By Parkinson Society British Columbia, June 15, 2021

In this one-hour webinar, pain specialist and anesthesiologist Brenda Lau, MD, discusses common types and causes of Parkinson’s-related pain, as well as strategies for self-managing pain. This presentation also offers tips on how people with Parkinson's can change their mindset about their pain to reduce its intensity.

By PMD Alliance, October 11, 2021

In this 75-minute webinar webinar, movement disorder specialist Johan Samanta, MD, talks about pain and answers listener questions. He shares what makes pain worse and better for those with PD and how to treat pain, whether the cause is due to Parkinson's (PD) or aging.

Webinar Notes on the Stanford PD Community Blog.

By American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Northwest Chapter, May 8, 2020

In this one-hour webinar, movement disorder specialist Dr. Pravin Khemani discusses causes of pain in PD and treatment strategies for pain in PD or from other causes.

Webinar notes on the Stanford PD Community Blog.

By Maria De León, MD. Published by defeatparkinsons.com, August 24, 2015

Severe leg pain is a common complaint from people with PD. Lately, it is understood that central pain is common to Parkinson’s disease, and can even be the first sign of PD, usually bilaterally. This blog post lists six causes of lower limb pain, and the importance of treating it. Treatments depend on properly identifying the source of pain. Some treatment suggestions are included.

By Veteran's Health Administration

This 10-minute video alternates between an interview with a man and doctors. The man shares his experience with pain as a symptom of Parkinson's disease. The doctors explain that pain is common in Parkinson's disease, often due to rigidity or dystonia, which can be exacerbated by "off" periods. Pain caused by Parkinson's symptoms can be relieved by Parkinson's medications, exercise, DBS and botox injections. Pain is an invisible symptom that should be mentioned to your neurologist.

By Parkinson's Foundation, March 9, 2021

This one-hour webinar discusses neuropathy, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues and how they may relate to medications, Parkinson’s disease, and/or aging. Evidence-based treatments for these non-motor symptoms are addressed as well.

By Rebecca Gilbert, MD. Published by American Parkinson Disease Association, October 20, 2020

This brief, clearly written article reviews the nervous systems of the human body and defines peripheral neuropathy (PN), its symptoms, and the prevalence of PN in those with Parkinson's Disease. The author notes it's essential to determine the cause of PN to know the most appropriate treatment.

By Kristin Della Volpe. Published by Practical Pain Management, May 16, 2017

This two-page interview with neurologist Dr. Jori E. Fleisher discusses pain in Parkinson’s disease, with some interesting statistics about women and pain. Dr. Fleisher outlines the four primary types of pain in PD, how depression interferes with pain management, the role of exercise and medications in pain management, as well as alternative therapies.

By Davis Phinney Foundation, March 16, 2021

Author Toni Bernhard was diagnosed 20 years ago with myalgic encephalomyelitis. In this one-hour interview she shares what she's learned about living with chronic pain and illness and how to live well no matter what obstacles you are facing.

By Stanford Health Library, November 5, 2015

In this 50-minute lecture, Beth Darnall, PhD explains how our experience of pain goes beyond the physical sensation of pain. It has emotional and psychological components that affect our ability to treat pain. She cites research to demonstrate that and shares 13 specific tips to reduce the experience of pain and increase treatment effectiveness. Audience questions follow the lecture.

By Rachel Brunner, PharmD, and Amanda Gerberich, PharmD, BCPS. Published by Practical Pain Management, January 22, 2021

This article summarizes the incidence, types, and causes of reported pain in Parkinson's Disease (PD). A table of recommendations on how to involve patients with Parkinson's in their own pain management is provided, along with approaches to pain assessment. Finally, there is a discussion of pain management principles in PD, including optimization of dopaminergic medications, use of analgesics, and innovative treatments for pain management (botulinum toxin and cannabinoids).