Parkinson's disease without tremor masquerading as mechanical back pain; a case report

The clinical features of a 67-year-old female suffering recurrent low back pain (LBP) who developed Parkinson's disease (PD) are presented. PD is a progressive, age-specific neuro-degenerative disorder characterized by a combination of bradykinesia (slowness of movement), rest tremor (initially unilaterally and usually of the hands), rigidity or stiffness of the arms, legs or neck, and/or postural instability. Other non-motor and cognitive symptoms may accompany these features. Tremor, at rest, is usually the earliest and most prominent cardinal symptom of PD, but is absent in approximately 30% of patients. Considering mechanical back pain commonly presents with slowed movement and gait disturbance due to pain avoidance behavior, and considering Canada's population is aging and living longer will inevitably cause the number of Parkinson's patients to increase, it is important for chiropractic doctors to maintain an awareness of the condition to facilitate its early referral, diagnosis and management.