Pain in Parkinson's disease. A look at a little known aspect of this pathology

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, the second most prevalent, after Alzheimer's disease. It presents both motor and non-motor symptoms; These include autonomic dysfunction, unexplained pain, cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, among others. Some of these patients experience pain as an early symptom of Parkinson's, even before the expression of their disease. Among people who have PD and who experience pain, they describe it as a worrisome symptom, being a cause of suffering and disability. However, despite this, pain in PD often remains undiagnosed and untreated. Therefore, it is important to understand that pain can be part of the Parkinson's experience and learn ways to manage it. This paper reviews current data on possible mechanisms, classifications, evolution, potential risk factors and pain control in PD. The mechanism of pain in this situation is complex, and is influenced by different factors, which may be linked to pathological changes in the anatomical structures involved in nociceptive mechanisms.