Terry Crews’ wife Rebecca King-Crews says early Parkinson’s symptoms were dismissed as anxiety: What were they?
· Yahoo Health(NEXSTAR) – Rebecca King-Crews, the wife of actor Terry Crews, revealed during an interview on the “Today” show that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nearly a decade ago, though a doctor initially chalked up her symptoms to anxiety.
“That is not uncommon, with us ladies, for someone to call everything stress,” King-Crews told “Today” host Craig Melvin on Monday.
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King-Crews, 60, said she first noticed symptoms in 2012. It started with a “numbness” in her left foot, and later her trainer pointed out that she wasn’t swinging one of her arms when she walked.
“Then I woke up one morning and my hand was shaking,” she remembered. “I said, ‘Now that’s a tremor.’”
King-Crews was right to be curious about these symptoms. The Parkinson’s Foundation and the Mayo Clinic list tremors and the loss of involuntary arm movements — like swinging your arms — as early warning signs.
Other early symptoms can include stiff limbs, worsening posture, bradykinesia (slowed movements), smaller handwriting, changes in speech and even a loss of smell, among others.
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“No single one of these signs means that you should worry, but if you have more than one sign you should consider making an appointment to talk to your doctor,” the Parkinson’s Foundation writes.
Parkinson’s is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain, but the reason for this phenomenon in patients is not fully known. Researchers believe it could be caused by genetics or external factors, the latter including head trauma or exposure to certain toxins or pesticides, Johns Hopkins Medicine says.
Parkinson’s currently has no cure, but a number of medicines are available to treat the condition. In some cases, a surgery known as “deep brain stimulation,” or DBS, can be helpful in managing symptoms, per the Cleveland Clinic.
King-Crews, on Monday’s edition of “Today,” indicated that she had been on medication, but also underwent a non-invasive “focused ultrasound” procedure which improved her symptoms and gave her back some of the use of her right hand.
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“I’m able to write with my right hand for the first time in probably 3 years,” she said, and was able to do ballet movements that she hadn’t been able to previously.
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King-Crews did not name the specific procedure she underwent, but “Today” identified it as a bilateral focused ultrasound using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. Such procedures have been show to “significantly” reduce tremors in patients with movement disorders, a 2024 study published in the JAMA Neurology journal found.
The Mayo Clinic categorized this procedure as an “advanced treatment” that uses ultrasound waves to burn the areas of the brain where tremors originate.
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King-Crews believes the procedure is an example of the “new frontier” in Parkinson’s research, and hopes to raise awareness for those struggling with the disease. But she admitted that “it’s an expensive surgery.”
While the surgery may be covered by some insurance policies, patients may want to verify that their insurer covers the use of MRI-guided ultrasound treatments specifically for Parkinson’s. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, upon FDA approval of bilateral focused ultrasound (bilateral FUS) on both sides of the brain for Parkinson’s patients in 2025, said it could take time before insurers finalize their policies concerning the treatment. Prospective patients may also find that the treatment is not yet widely available.
King-Crews said she’s undergoing a second FUS procedure in September, and looks forward to others seeing the same progress as she.
“I’m seeing each day, the miracles,” King-Crew said. “Little miracles every day.”
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