Primary Care Physician
Prior to my diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, I did not have a doctor. I figured I was a healthy and very active 46 year old, and having a primary care doctor was not something that I thought I would need until I got “old.”

In hindsite, it is something I should have had already established. Even though I am a physician, there are a lot of preventative health things to stay healthy over the long haul such as a colonoscopy at age 45, mammograms, cholesterol labs, blood pressure screening, diabetes screening, etc…

Just because we have Parkinson’s disease, this does not make us exempt from having other health problems. If you do not have a primary care doctor yet, this should be a top priority.

Neurologist/Movement disorder doc
There is a shortage of neurologists and movement disorder specialists. Do your best to find one, especially early on. The general neurologist who diagnosed my Parkinson’s disease, refers to the MDS as the “maestro of the medications.” It really is somewhat of an art, titrating medications up and down or adding a little something extra to help with other specific symptoms.

Psychologist/Psychiatrist
Even if you don’t think you need to talk to someone or help with mental health now, it is a good idea to establish care with someone and go for a few sessions. If in the future you are struggling more with mental health, having someone already lined up to help you, or having already gone through the process once to find someone will make it easier. If you are really anxious or depressed, its hard to take that first step and get help.

Physical Therapist
A physical therapist trained in helping people with Parkinson’s can assess you, and see what challenges you are having, and give you some exercises or things you can do at home to work on those. My physical therapist also picks up on things, that I hadn’t even noticed.

For example, she had me walk on a treadmill and turn my head side to side, while talking. It was way more difficult than I thought it would be and I almost lost my balance a few times…

A plan for exercise:
It is incredibly helpful to have someone whose role it is to hold you accountable to exercise, and is not afraid to tell you, that you need to get back at it, and you will respect enough to roll your eyes and get back at it…

This could be something you do on your own, or with the help of a coach, personal trainer, physical therapist, exercise class teacher, or friend.

It is good to have someone who is going to hold you accountable. If you can’t afford a personal trainer or exercise classes, give a good friend the honor of holding you accountable and the permission to get on your case if you start slacking off… but make sure they know they have to keep it fun too!

Dermatologist
For reasons that are not clear, people with Parkinsons’ disease are twice as likley of developing malignant melanoma. Melanoma scares the hell out of me, a lesion does not have to be very big before it can start to spread to other parts of your body. It is more of a factor of how deep it goes.

Scheduling an annual skin exam by a dermatologist and learning what you should be looking for on your skin at home, could be lifesaving. (I will include more on how to check your own skin, in the common PD symptoms page. Also, wear your sunscreen!

Find your Community or Communities
It is incredibly helpful to connect with others with Parkinson’s disease. We live with this disease everyday and I guarantee know way more about all the little annoyances and how to deal with them than any of our doctors.

They can also help you when you are struggling, and cheer you on and motivate you to keep going. Check to see if you have a Parkinson’s Community Center.

Social Media Facebook groups are also incredibly helpful if you can find one that fits you and is positive. My two favorites are The Parkinson’s Fight Club and Parkinson’s Silver Lining.

As the disease progresses, we may eventually need occupational therapists to help with swallowing and voice issues, a neurosurgeon for DBS.

If you have a local Parkinson’s community center, they may have some recommendations for providers to fill these roles.