suffers from Parkinson's disease, then this is going to be one of the most important things you'll ever read.Parkinson’s Disease Treatment (part 1 of 4) at Penn Medicine
12.09.10 / parkinsons disease / Author: Alex
Tags: Disease, medicine, parkinsons, part, Penn, Treatment
Watch how the Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center (Penn CNC) cares for our Parkinsons patients and their families. See how the latest surgical development for Parkinsons disease – deep brain stimulation – helps reduce rigidity, improve mobility and eliminate involuntary movements for patients. Join us as we follow two patients on their journey to see how this new procedure may improve their quality of life. Originally aired May 2002. Learn more about the Penn CNC: www.uphs.upenn.edu
Video Rating: 5 / 5
How to Help a Parkinson’s Sufferer by Changing your Lifestyle
Whether it is you or a loved one that is diagnosed with Parkinsonâs disease some changes in lifestyle are inevitable, especially when mobility and other symptoms become severely affected. Below are a few ways in which you can help a Parkinsonâs sufferer to remain fit, healthy and enjoying life.
A change in diet to provide a healthy balanced food intake will ensure that both you and your loved one remain at a healthy weight and fitness level. Energy is one of the biggest requirements for someone suffering with Parkinsonâs disease because the muscles naturally struggle to cope with the extra strain put on them. A lack of energy would result in many muscle movements becoming even further impaired which in turn could lead to a negative attitude and despondency. Vitamins, minerals and beneficial oils can also help but check with the physician first before starting any new diets as some ingredients can react badly with medications used to treat Parkinsonâs disease.
Exercise is also essential to the Parkinsonâs sufferer because of the need to maintain good muscle tone, strength and posture. Again check with your physician before beginning a new exercise plan but simple activities such as walking, jogging, cycling and swimming can be performed often and as a couple which will help to defeat boredom. A qualified sports trainer can often help devise a plan that is enjoyable for you both and that will target the areas that really need help i.e. the limbs and back muscles. As the disease progresses a sports trainer will also be able to suggest low impact exercise routines that will still be of benefit but are not a strain on the body.
Making adjustments to your living area will become necessary as time goes on and there are a number of things you can do to make life easier for a person with Parkinsonâs disease. For example, grab bars can be fitted around the house and in the bathroom, a sit-down shower can be fitted instead of the regular bath, you can lengthen the legs of chairs so that it is easier to go from sitting to standing and vice versa, you can change door and cupboard handles to make them easier to grasp and change the cutlery to a design which is more comfortable to hold. In fact there are hundreds of little adjustments you can make to your home to make life easier and the longer you live with a Parkinsonâs sufferer the more ingenious ways you will think of to improve their quality of life.
Buying clothes with Velcro or zips will help a Parkinsonâs disease sufferer to remain independent for longer. As the disease progresses and intricate hand movements become more difficult, simple things like doing up buttons can become a chore and very frustrating for both the sufferer and the loved one as they watch the struggle. Similarly, try finding shoes that simply slip on or that have Velcro strips as apposed to laces.
There are many ways in which lifestyle can be changed to help a person with Parkinsonâs disease lead a normal and active life. Some changes are very minor whereas some are quite an upheaval, for example having the bathroom completely modified. Even so any change to benefit the sufferer is a change well made.
For more information and resources on Parkinson’s Disease, symptoms, causes, treatment solutions, surgery and living with Parkinson’s disease, visit Jeremy Parker’s comprehensive reference guide on Parkinson’s Disease.
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Question by soo_sweet720: My mother woke up with Swallow Feet she has Parkinson’s Disease. Is there anything to be worried about?
Hi my mother has swollen feet for the 1st time and they look fat and pinkish? Is this an emergency? What can be causing this? And what can be done? Thank you!
Best answer:
Answer by D O Double G
Common Symptoms
Tremor, or the involuntary and rhythmic movements of the hands, arms, legs and jaw
This dosen’t seem to be related to parkinson’s disease. The most common problems with parkinson’s are included below. You might want to tell your mom to drink alot of water and cut back on her salt intake.
Muscle rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs – most common in the arms, shoulders or neck
Gradual loss of spontaneous movement, which often leads to decreased mental skill or reaction time, voice changes, decreased facial expression, etc.
Gradual loss of automatic movement, which may lead to decreased blinking, decreased frequency of swallowing, and drooling
A stooped, flexed posture with bending at the elbows, knees and hips
Unsteady walk or balance
Depression or dementia
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Comments: 2
Its excess fluid built up (edema) it can be caused by various things medication or poor circulation, it can be helped with lasixs and it can also help to have her lay down on her left side
if it continues you need to see the doctor
The good thing is that there are a few things that can be done. The only downside is the cost of the doctor’s appointment which she should have to rule out more serious causes.
The edema in your mother’s feet might be caused by medication she is taking for her Parkinson’s disease. One medication known to cause this extremity swelling is Amantadine which is a glutamate antagonist and a dopamine releaser. It is often used in the early stage of PD and can be used with levodopa.
Naturally she should advise her doctor of this situation but in the meanwhile she should keep her feet elevated when she is sitting. She can also lie down for 15-20 minutes at least 2-3 times a day. Another option is reducing salt intake. If she has been wearing support hose, that is fine but if she is wearing knee-hi’s which have a tight elastic band, that is contraindicated and she should discard those stockings or socks. Walking is a good idea – standing still is not.
It is important that she discusses this with her doctor. Swelling can be a sign of heart or kidney problems and although usually accompanied by shortness of breath, sometimes there are no other tell-tales.
Has your mother gained weight recently? Is she retaining fluid? Is she less active? Sometimes lowered activity is caused by the slow movements (bradykinesia) of Parkinson’s as well as the progesssive stiffness.
While this is probably not an emergency, she and her doctor are in a better position to determine that since we do not know her vital statistics, the medications she is taking, nor her diet. They can then determine if a medication change or addition is necessary. Perhaps her doctor can refer her to physical therapy – which is often covered to some extent by health insurance. (Exercise therapy is probably better for her but that can be done at home.)
Below is a link to both arm and leg exercises which can be done while seated:
http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/02/arm-swing-exercise-for-parkinsons.html
If your mother is not on a regular exercise regimen, this is a good excuse to get her started. It may also be a good time to start reading the labels on the food she and the entire family eat. There are many items she might need to avoid beginning with MSG, sodium content, nitrates and nitrites, aspertame. .
http://mbm.net.au/health/620-640.htm
Is the swelling worse on one side? Her PD side?
The important thing is that the symptom is not ignored. Elevate immediately.
Best wishes to you both