Pain in Parkinson's Disease
Michael Rezak, MD, PhD
Director, APDA Arlette Johnson Young-Onset
Information & Referral Center, Glenview, IL

Among the many non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD), painful sensations can be the most troublesome and difficult to diagnose. Many physicians are unaware that disturbances of sensation can be a part of the Parkinson’s disease symptoms, and thus long and frustrating delays in diagnosis and treatment as well as inappropriate diagnostic evaluations can take place.
A recent report documents the fact that in people with PD, pain is a relatively common cause for visits to the emergency room. Furthermore, dentists should be aware of the relationship of PD to complaints of burning mouth, which occur in a significant number of patients. Also, internal medicine physicians and gynecologists should be aware of the occurrence of chronic severe oral and genital pain in some patients with PD who have no underlying local pathology. It should also be noted that although rare, there are documented cases wherein many of the medications used to treat PD symptoms have actually caused pain (with complete resolution upon discontinuation). Under any circumstances, the diagnosis of painful symptoms in PD can be difficult and may require in-depth diagnostic studies to rule out other causes. Armed with the knowledge that painful symptoms can be a component of PD, doctors may be able to arrive at a more timely diagnosis so that appropriate manage-ment can be instituted by adjusting dopaminergic medications or utilizing other pain management strategies. APDA Newsletter