Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance

Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to providing opportunities for people with movement disorders to learn, live fully, and spark meaningful connections around them. While our partners walk the long roads to disease cures, our growing community can't afford to wait. We help those impacted by Parkinson's and other movement disorders (PMD+) to live their fullest lives right now.

We're not like the big guys. We have a national presence and an international impact with a small, grounded team because everything we do is informed and amplified by the passionate people we serve. We're weaving a powerful network of those impacted by every movement-based, neurological disorder, because we're stronger together. The PMD+ community embraces all those with Parkinson's, essential tremor, Lewy Body dementia, Huntington's disease, multiple system atrophy, tardive dyskinesia, and more, as well as those who play a role in supporting or caring for them.

Whether it's those living with a diagnosis, their care partners, adult children, support group leaders, or healthcare providers, we meet the needs of the PMD+ community by educating and empowering with free, high-quality events, resources, and community groups, as well as cutting edge continuing medical education opportunities for healthcare professionals.

Here are some highlights:

NeuroLifeOnline® (NLO)

NLO connects people with information and advice from Parkinson and movement disorder (PMD+) experts and allies-no matter where they are. With live, interactive webinars and a treasure trove of recordings from past events, these programs focused on real-world strategies help people impacted by movement disorders to overcome obstacles and improve their quality of life right now, with program topics spanning the full range of the PMD+ experience. In addition to education about treatments and lifestyle changes, we have programs about overcoming the stigma related to symptoms, driving with PD, avoiding scams, decluttering with chronic illness, and so much more!

National Support Communities

One of the strengths of support groups is their ability to expose people to new perspectives and ideas that can positively inform their management of their or their loved one's disease and make them feel less isolated. That's why it can be so beneficial to gather in community with people across the country who are having similar experiences-their challenges and how they cope with them can provide unique insight and comfort that may not be possible among only people local to them. We offer five different groups to meet the needs of the whole PMD+ ecosystem: Flying Solo for people living alone, YOPD Connections, Support for Adult Children, Real Talk for Care Partners, and Resilience for All.

Local Support Groups and their Leaders

Research and experience makes clear-equipping local leaders with the tools they need to maximize their impact in their communities is essential to creating robust networks of support for people with movement disorders. PMD Alliance champions this approach, as the only national organization devoted to training Support Group Leaders in Parkinson's and movement disorders (PMD+).

We take this one step further, not only training leaders to strengthen and expand the support groups available to the PMD+ community, but also maintaining a searchable database of support and exercise groups on our website and mobile app (PD&Me) to ensure everyone can find local support.

Medical Education for Healthcare Professionals

As our organization works with all branches of the Movement Disorder Care & Support Ecosystem©-including patients and care partners-PMD Alliance is uniquely positioned to coordinate educational opportunities that not only put best practices and cutting edge therapies in the hands of providers, but also ground learning in the lived experiences of the people we serve. There are already too few providers specializing in movement disorders to serve the rapidly growing population of people living with these conditions. That's why we offer FREE online, on-demand courses, so primary care physicians, general neurologists, and anyone else working to serve people with movement disorders can be educated by our expert faculty to offer informed care to the PMD+ community.

PMD Alliance also hosts an annual summit (Advanced Therapeutics in Movement & Related Disorders™) in partnership with Medstar Georgetown University Hospital to gather stakeholders in movement disorders to learn together. As the only educational event of its kind to focus on disease management after diagnosis, ATMRD's robust discussions and hands-on sessions are essential to fully equip providers to improve patients' quality of life.

Testimonials

"PMD Alliance is the boots on the ground. People need help now. It's nice to dream of a cure, to dream that someday this can go away...