Rebecca King Crews, wife of former NFL linebacker Terry Crews, recently revealed she has been living with Parkinson’s disease for over a decade. She first noticed symptoms in 2012 and received her diagnosis in 2015, but the early signs were initially misdiagnosed by multiple doctors.
King Crews’ earliest symptoms included slight numbness in her left foot, which her trainer also noticed as a lack of arm swing when she walked. When she developed a tremor in her hand, she sought medical care. “I said, ‘Now that’s a tremor,’ because my grandmother had tremors. So I went to the doctor, and he told me, ‘Oh, you’re having anxiety, you’ll be fine,’” she recalled. She had to visit multiple doctors before eventually receiving her correct Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Early-onset Parkinson’s is relatively uncommon, affecting only about 4% of all cases, with fewer than 2% diagnosed before age 40. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, an estimated 1.1 million Americans currently live with Parkinson’s, with that number expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. Symptoms typically develop slowly and include tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movement, and balance problems.
Younger patients with Parkinson’s often experience different disease patterns than older patients. Those with young-onset disease are more likely to experience involuntary muscle contractions called dystonia and more involuntary body movements, but less frequent dementia symptoms. These patients typically experience slower disease progression and maintain functional and cognitive abilities longer.
King Crews has undergone a newly approved procedure called bilateral-focused ultrasound to help manage her symptoms. The FDA approved this treatment in July 2025 for treating both sides of the brain, six months apart. The procedure uses a device called Exablate Neuro to deliver ultrasound waves to targeted brain areas involved in Parkinson’s movement symptoms, guided by MRI. While the treatment is non-invasive and represents a meaningful advance for qualifying patients, it can be expensive and insurance coverage varies.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.foxnews.com/health/early-parkinsons-symptoms-misdiagnosed-years-terry-crews-wife-reveals