Star reveals fight against Parkinson's

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Film and TV star Michael J Fox, who shot to fame with the movie Back to the Future, has revealed that he has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for seven years.

The 37-year-old who currently stars in the television series Spin City told People magazine in the US that he noticed a twitch in the little finger of his left hand in 1991 during the filming of Doc Hollywood.

Tests revealed that he had Parkinson's. "It was incomprehensible," Mr Fox told the magazine. "The doctor said I would be able to function for years and years. But even talking in those terms was strange."

Michael J Fox: Actor has fought disease since 1991

Over the past seven years, Parkinson's, a degenerative and, so far, incurable disease affecting the brain, progressed to the point that all of Mr Fox's left side was affected by trembling and stiffness.

In March, he underwent an operation on his brain that almost entirely eliminated the most violent shaking.

But his hands still tremble and he experiences stiffness in his hips, the magazine reports.

The disease, the actor said, "made me stronger. A million times wiser. And more compassionate.

"I've realised I'm vulnerable, that no matter how many awards I'm given or how big my bank account is, I can be messed with like that."

The actor is cutting his workload to cope with the disease and says he hopes to help other sufferers by talking about his condition.