Each year in the United States, more than 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. What comes next after a diagnosis? A treatment plan that includes tools for managing Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease, or PD, is a progressive neurological disorder that causes movement-related symptoms throughout the body. In its earliest stages, it can cause symptoms such as a tremor or changes in the volume of your speech.
As the condition progresses, symptoms can worsen and new symptoms may emerge. Because there’s currently no cure for PD, treatment focuses on slowing the progress of the disease and managing its symptoms.
If you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a neurologist and other members of your care team will create a treatment plan that’s personalized based on the symptoms you’re experiencing and other factors about your health. Keep reading to learn about options for treating and managing Parkinson’s disease.
How Parkinson’s Disease Affects the Body
Parkinson’s disease causes nerve cells in the basal ganglia of the brain to become impaired or die off. This part of the brain controls movement, and the nerve cells are responsible for producing dopamine, which also plays a role in the body’s movements.
The loss of dopamine can cause many different movement symptoms, including:
- Impaired balance and coordination
- Muscle stiffness
- Slowed movements
- Tremor in the hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
PD also destroys nerve endings responsible for producing norepinephrine, a chemical messenger that’s part of the sympathetic nervous system. The loss of norepinephrine causes many non-movement symptoms, including fatigue, irregular blood pressure, and digestive issues.
At first, those with Parkinson’s disease may experience only a handful of mild symptoms affecting one side of the body, but over time, those symptoms may worsen and begin affecting other parts of the body. It’s also possible to develop other symptoms, including difficulty swallowing and speaking, urinary problems, constipation, or skin issues.
Treatment Options for Parkinson’s Disease
While there’s no curative treatment for PD, there are many different treatment options to help with managing Parkinson’s disease symptoms and slowing the progress of the disease.
Nearly everyone being treated for Parkinson’s disease is prescribed some type of medication. Multiple medications are used to treat the disease, and they do so in different ways.
Levodopa, the most common medication used to treat PD, for example, is converted into dopamine in the brain, replacing the dopamine diminished by the disease.
Medications can also help to stimulate the production of dopamine or to slow down the process of breaking down dopamine in the brain. Other medications are used to treat specific symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including involuntary movements, muscle rigidity, and tremor.
Along with medications, a treatment plan for PD may include:
- Deep brain stimulation. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) involves implanting an electrode in a specific part of the brain and connecting it to a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest. The implanted devices then painlessly stimulate parts of the brain related to movement. DBS can be helpful in alleviating the movement symptoms of PD, along with side effects caused by medications used to treat the disease.
- Focused ultrasound. Focused ultrasound emits high-intensity sound waves into the brain, creating heat, which destroys the specific part of the brain that causes tremor. This procedure is a more recent innovation, approved by the FDA for a Parkinson’s tremor that isn’t alleviated by medication.
- Lifestyle changes. Healthy lifestyle habits can help manage the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Eating a diet filled with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help you fuel your body and support overall wellness. Exercise is also helpful, and in fact, some research shows that regular physical activity may slow the progression of the disease.
- Rehabilitation therapies. Physical, occupational, and speech therapies may all be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and helping you to develop coping skills to manage the disease.
In addition to these common treatment options, you may also benefit from complementary therapies, such as yoga, tai chi, or massage therapy. Talk with your providers about whether these offerings could be helpful for your specific symptoms.
Local Resources for Managing Parkinson’s Disease
Along with the treatment options noted above, those with Parkinson’s disease can benefit from specialized therapies or programs to help them manage the effects of the disease. Here in west Tennessee, patients can access multiple programs for Parkinson’s disease through Sports Plus Rehab Centers.
At select Sports Plus locations throughout our communities, we offer three programs that can be particularly beneficial for those who have PD: LSVT BIG, LSVT LOUD, and Rock Steady Boxing.
LSVT BIG is a physical or Occupational therapy program that’s designed to help Parkinson’s patients amplify their movements and make them bigger. Parkinson’s disease causes slowed, stifled movements affecting the arms, legs, and other parts of the body. This program helps to retrain the body to make more normal movements and improves balance, coordination, walking speed, and functional abilities.
LSVT LOUD is an innovative speech therapy program that includes one-on-one coaching designed to help Parkinson’s patients normalize the volume of their speech and improve speech quality. Those who have Parkinson’s disease often develop problems with speech, including diminished volume, because of slowed movements affecting the mouth, neck, throat, and chest. This program helps patients overcome those issues.
Rock Steady Boxing is an out-of-the-box approach to physical activity for those who have Parkinson’s disease. While all physical activity is beneficial for those with the disease, boxing may be particularly helpful. This program uses noncontact boxing movements to steady the body’s movements and relieve symptoms of the disease.
Talk with your neurologist or another member of your care team about whether you could benefit from one or more of these programs for managing Parkinson’s disease. They can offer additional information or refer you to access these services.
Interested in the programs Sports Plus offers for managing Parkinson’s disease symptoms? Call 731-541-7060 to learn more or sign up to participate.
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