How is Parkinson’s diagnosed?

The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is made based on the presence of certain symptoms and findings on physical examination. Your doctor will look for the classic resting pill-rolling tremor, slowness of movement, rigidity and gait problems. There is no specific diagnostic procedure or laboratory test to establish a Parkinson's diagnosis. If a patient's symptoms improve after taking PD medication, the diagnosis is probably correct. However, it is important for your doctor to exclude other causes of parkinsonism, symptoms similar to those of PD but caused by another problem.