At its simplest, it is a progressive* neurological disorder, which so far cannot be cured. It is variable in its progression, i.e. some people get worse more slowly than others, and it can be effectively controlled with medication for many years.

So how can you help yourself? You can avoid or deal with stress, eat well, exercise, and that all helps. Some people are prescribed antioxidants by their neurologists on the basis that they might help slow down the progression.

Parkinson's results from a shortage of dopamine, a chemical that helps instructions from the brain to cross from one nerve cell to the next, in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which has to do with controlling movement. We all lose some of this chemical as we get older, and the loss starts at birth! However, it is only when we have lost all but about a quarter that we start to have symptoms, so people with Parkinson's have lost it at a slightly faster rate than others.

*progressive=getting worse over time