by Jamie Neff, Human Sciences Specialist in Family Wellbeing, ISU Extension and Outreach
April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month. While most people are familiar with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and may even have a family member or friend diagnosed with PD, there are two common questions often asked about PD. What is Parkinson’s Disease? How do you treat Parkinson’s Disease? So, let’s answer these questions and become more aware of PD!
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. This means that cells in the brain, called neurons, are dying. Everyone loses neurons as they age, but in PD the loss is greater than what occurs with normal aging. The loss of neurons leads to a variety of symptoms. The most noticeable symptoms are the ones that affect movement. Persons with PD may move slower, have a tremor (shaking of the arm/hand, leg/foot, or head), have difficulty with walking, and have difficulty with balance. However, there are many other symptoms of PD that are often not thought of as PD. These include problems with sleep, loss of smell, changes in mood (depression, lack of motivation), constipation, issues with urinary control, and many more. These symptoms often begin before the movement symptoms and are often associated with aging. Other symptoms that are also a part of PD include problems swallowing and reduced respiratory (breathing) capacity.
Thus, the symptoms of PD encompass multiple areas, and often each person with PD has a different set of symptoms. This can make treating PD difficult and living with PD a challenge. However, there is hope. Research has shown that there are many adjuvant therapies that can foster a happy and full life after a diagnosis of PD.
How do you treat Parkinson’s Disease?
The most common treatment of PD is to take medication. However, medication does not fully rid the symptoms of PD and does not work well for all symptoms of PD. Thus, there are other treatment options that have been shown to be promising at treating symptoms and also improving quality of life.
One option is to engage in physical activity. There are many ways to engage in physical activity, and research has shown benefits of treadmill walking, bicycling, boxing, and yoga. The most important part is to do an activity that is enjoyable.
Another treatment option is to include music. Research has shown that dancing and singing are beneficial for PD. Specifically, singing has been shown to improve respiratory control and swallowing, and singing for one hour can improve tremor, walking, and balance in persons with PD.
Most importantly, the inclusion of physical activity and music can greatly impact quality of life, especially if done with a group. So, while a diagnosis of PD can be difficult news, the good news is that there are fun and engaging ways to treat PD that introduce people to a whole new supportive community of others living with PD. A diagnosis of PD is not the end but rather the beginning of a new chapter that can be filled with new experiences and new friends through engagement in a community of support and encouragement with physical activity and music at the core.
Did you know?
Iowa State University provides a variety of resources for persons living with PD and their caregivers. ISU Extension and Outreach provides an educational series on PD with detailed information on recognizing PD, the cause of PD, and treatment of PD. This three-part series, called “A Journey Through Parkinson’s Disease,” has received rave reviews and is a wonderful source of information. There are also several outreach programs offered at ISU. These groups meet weekly and include boxing, singing, and dance. The caregiver support group also meets weekly during the singing group. Finally, there are many research studies at ISU for persons with PD, including a Phase 3 clinical trial on treadmill training for newly diagnosed persons with PD.
ISU offers many opportunities to engage in a fun and supportive community of persons with PD, caregivers, and experts in the field. For more information, contact Elizabeth Stegemoller, esteg@iastate.edu or 515-294-5966. To register for the next A Journey Through Parkinson’s Disease series, go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/parkinsons.