Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced he is battling Parkinson’s Disease according to CBS affiliate KYW.

At a news conference at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, Rendell said he began seeing symptoms 3 1/2 years ago.

Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania diagnosed him with early onset Parkinson’s Disease and began a treatment of medication and physical therapy.

The 74-year-old says the progression has slowed and he believes some of the symptoms are better now than they were.

Rendell said he decided to announce his diagnosis to spread the following message.

“We’re doing this again with the hope that people will be encouraged,” he said  “Again, It turns out I wasn’t indestructible, none of us are.  It turns out that I can be helped, all of us can be.”

Parkinson’s involves a loss of brain cells and controlling movement.

Besides tremors, it can cause rigid, halting walking, slowed speech and sometimes Dementia. Symptoms worse over time and can be treated with drugs, but there is no cure.