Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that affects body movements. It can lead to symptoms like tremors, impaired posture and balance, and changes in speech, among others. It is vital to get timely treatment to slow down the progression of this disease. But the treatment can lead to certain side-effects like dyskinesia. People often confuse Parkinson’s dyskinesia with tremors. Read on to know more about these signs and the differences between them.

What is Parkinson’s dyskinesia?
Parkinson’s dyskinesia is a medical condition characterized by involuntary movements. It is a side effect of treating Parkinson’s disease with levodopa (a medication used for treating Parkinson’s disease). Dyskinesia can affect any part of the body. It can either involve the entire body or just one body part like the arm or the leg. It leads to sudden body movements like wriggling, jerking, swaying, or rotating or bobbing the head uncontrollably. Dyskinesia mostly occurs when other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, like tremors, stiffness, and slow action of nerves, are under control. Severe stress or excitement can also bring out the symptoms of dyskinesia in a patient. Generally, this condition is not noticeable in the start, but if it gets severe or persists over time, it can get in the way of the day-to-day life of an individual.

What are tremors?
Tremors are involuntary contractions of muscles which are rhythmic in nature. It can lead to shaking movements in one or more parts of the body. It is a common disorder which not only affects the hands but also the upper body, legs, neck, vocal cords, and head. Tremors may be intermittent or constant. It is a common symptom that occurs with the onset of Parkinson’s disease.

What are the main differences between Parkinson’s dyskinesia and tremors?
Tremors are the primary symptom of Parkinson’s disease. This symptom can show improvement with medication. Alternatively, dyskinesia is not a symptom of Parkinson’s disease. It happens at a later stage due to the side effects of medications taken to treat Parkinson’s disease.

One of the basic differences between Parkinson’s dyskinesia and tremors is that tremors are rhythmic in nature and usually seen around one joint, whereas dyskinesia is usually disordered and does not happen in one specific part of the body.

Parkinson’s dyskinesia is non-suppressible. It will occur no matter how hard the patient tries to stop it. Tremors can be suppressed with the regular movement of muscles or continuous activity.

Levodopa, a medication used to control the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, causes Parkinson’s dyskinesia, whereas tremors are not the side effects of any medication but a symptom of the disease itself.

What are the complications associated with Parkinson’s dyskinesia and tremors?
Tremors are usually not dangerous but can occur suddenly and affect a person’s regular activities like writing and holding things. On the other hand, dyskinesia is relatively more dangerous as it can impede daily activities of the patient like eating and drinking.