IS it PD or not?

[kaypeeoh]

Is the stiffness of PD painful like sore muscles are from too much weight-lifting or running? Or is it a numb feeling, like I've been injected with lidocaine? Same question for bradykinesia.

TIA,

kpo

[GymBag]

Both

[park_bear]

In my experience it is definitely not numb. These are contracted muscles due to erroneous nerve signals and can indeed get painful and sore.

[ddmagee1]

A very interesting observation! When my muscles feel stiff and sore, and I have cogwheel rigidity, from PD, the pain is worse than when I used to have sore muscles from weightlifting. Sad, but true, at least for me! Many times, I feel like the Tin Man, from the Wizard of Oz, who needs oil, something to lubricate the joints, because of the extreme stiffness.

[kaypeeoh]

The neuros and aides all practice their techniques by moving my wrists and elbows, looking I guess for stiffness. They seem dismayed when not finding any.

[Hikoi in reply to kaypeeoh]

I dont know about them “practicing” on you. (I wonder how you know it is practice. ) My neuro and PD nurse checkfor cogwheel rigidity in my wrists. They are not at all dismayed by what they find, it changes according to treatment.

Bradykenesia means slowness of movement, i dont know how your question relates to this.

[kaypeeoh]

Just looking for answers. I was dx'd over a year ago. I have small handwriting and a dominant hand tremor but nothing else. I wanted to know what stiffness or bradykinesia feels like. How else would I know whether I have them?

[Bundoran]

I don't have bk but I do have stiffness. There is no pain but my physical therapist tells me I'm stiff when he stretches me out and the doc tested for cogwheel rigidity in my left arm, the tremor arm. But then I've always carried myself rather stiffly, so its hard to know how much is due to P.