Today in Australia, 38 people will hear the words ‘you have Parkinson’s’ for the very first time. That’s more than one person every hour, of every day.

Parkinson’s Awareness Month provides opportunities to learn more about the issues facing people living with Parkinson’s every day – and how their lives can be improved – particularly through exercise, social opportunities, and community activities.

Parkinson’s is a progressive, degenerative condition of the central nervous system. Its causes are unknown, and a cure has not yet been found.

With close to 50 symptoms, the complexity of Parkinson’s is severely underestimated. The recognisable symptoms of Parkinson’s are just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface there are many more than 20 non-motor symptoms ranging from nuisance to life threatening