Parkinsons Disease Treatment in India

Sneha Gupta, a 58-year-old former classical...

Sneha Gupta, a 58-year-old former classical dancer and dance teacher from Kolkata, began noticing a slight tremor in her right hand three years ago. Initially dismissed as stress, the tremor gradually worsened, accompanied by stiffness in her limbs and a subtle slowing of her graceful movements, which she found devastating. Her signature 'mudras' (hand gestures) became clumsy. After a year of progressive difficulty, her family doctor referred her to a neurologist, Dr. Rao. Following a detailed examination and a DaTscan, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Rao recommended starting a comprehensive treatment plan, beginning with medication (carbidopa-levodopa) and dedicated physical therapy tailored to preserve her mobility and dance-related motions. The initial adjustment to medication was challenging, with some nausea and dizziness, but she persisted. Within weeks, the stiffness lessened significantly, and her tremor became much more manageable. She has since regained about 70% of her fluidity and has started teaching modified dance routines to senior students. Emotionally, Sneha journeyed from a place of profound grief and fear of losing her life's passion to one of determined adaptation. While she mourns the loss of her former physical prowess, she now focuses on the joy of movement she can still experience and share, finding a new, resilient identity beyond her diagnosis.