What Causes Cogwheel Rigidity?

When there's less dopamine, the cells in the basal ganglia can't connect or communicate as well. This means they can't keep your motions as smooth as they would otherwise be, which causes rigidity and the other body movement issues common to Parkinson's disease, like tremors.

What causes rigidity in Parkinson's?

Reduced dopamine levels are thought to disrupt the balance between the muscles which extend and relax for each movement, resulting in rigidity.

What is rigidity caused by?

Muscle rigidity is often triggered by stress. Stress can adversely affect your body's nervous system — including your nerves — and how they function. Your nervous system may respond to stress by putting additional pressure on the blood vessels, which results in reduced blood flow to the muscles.