Think Neuro

From a Wide Array, Choosing the Best Treatment for Parkinson's Disease | Dr. Natalie Diaz

Episode Summary

When you’re a doctor treating Parkinson’s disease, it’s a matter of picking the most appropriate arrow from your quiver. There is no cure for the disease yet, but there are more than 20 different medications that can improve a patient’s wellbeing. Dr. Natalie Diaz, a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders, is familiar with all of them. Some 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year, and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease. The risk of Parkinson’s increases with age, and that’s one of the factors Dr. Diaz considers when recommending treatment. Among the others are symptoms and side effects. In some cases, she may recommend a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation. Her goal is to keep Parkinson’s and its symptoms at bay for as long as possible, and with so many options, patients can live quite well achieving good quality of life. Listen to this podcast to hear Dr. Diaz talk about how she helps them do it.

Episode Notes

When you’re a doctor treating Parkinson’s disease, it’s a matter of picking the most appropriate arrow from your quiver. There is no cure for the disease yet, but there are more than 20 different medications that can improve a patient’s wellbeing. Dr. Natalie Diaz, a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders, is familiar with all of them. Some 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year, and more than 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease. The risk of Parkinson’s increases with age, and that’s one of the factors Dr. Diaz considers when recommending treatment. Among the others are symptoms and side effects. In some cases, she may recommend a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation. Her goal is to keep Parkinson’s and its symptoms at bay for as long as possible, and with so many options, patients can live quite well achieving good quality of life. Listen to this podcast to hear Dr. Diaz talk about how she helps them do it.