Treatment of pain in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may experience pain due to either neurologic or non-neurologic etiologies. A complete pain history and thorough examination are necessary to create the appropriate differential diagnosis and management plan. Pain related to Parkinson’s disease is commonly characterized as (1) musculoskeletal, (2) dystonic, (3) radicular/neuropathic, and (4) central pain. Treatment plans vary depending on the etiology of the pain. This case is an example of a patient with dystonic pain in the foot whose symptoms improved after deep brain stimulation.