Multiple Physical Activities Can Improve Motor And Nonmotor Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease
Mehrholz et al. and Herman et al.’s study found that running can improve gait and physical fitness and better safety . Aguiar et al. indicated that regular dancing has the benefit of balance and mobility in PD patients . The rhythmic music used in dancing could activate neurons that are conducive to motor control, accompanied by increasing blood flow in the hippocampus, frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex. This promotion of neural plasticity improves movement, balance, and cognition of the body . Also, Tai Chi and Qigong could upgrade the motor function and balance ability of patients with mild to moderate PD . Yoga provides modest improvements in motor functions, mobility, balance, flexibility, and strength in upper and lower limbs, while helps reduce the fear of falls in Parkinson’s patients .
How To Prevent Parkinson’s Disease
This article was medically reviewed by Troy A. Miles, MD. Dr. Miles is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Adult Joint Reconstruction in California. He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2010, followed by a residency at the Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship at the University of California, Davis. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the North Pacific Orthopaedic Society.There are 23 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 34,160 times.
To Prevent Falls Exercise
Exercise is the only intervention that significantly reduces a persons risk of falling, among older people without PD as well as people with Parkinsons. Research is beginning to show how exercise changes the brain for the better and can help people with PD gain back some of their automatic balance reflex.
In a study, Dr. Horak and her team asked participants with PD to stand on a quickly moving treadmill, until they began walking. Participants initially took too-small steps, but with one hour of practicing, they improved, taking bigger steps to stay balanced while walking.
Many kinds of exercise can improve a persons balance. Consider trying:
- Tai Chi: a moving meditation where movements involve shifting the bodys center of mass back and forth over the feet. Studies found fewer falls among people with PD who practiced Tai Chi three times a week.
- Dance: to dance tango, a person has to walk backward and sideways, take big steps and both follow and lead good ways for people with PD to practice balance control.
- Boxing: the rapid arm movements provide good balance training.
- Agility boot camp: completing different tasks in a series of stations can improve balance.
Tip: People with PD may have other medical issues that affect their ability to exercise, such as arthritis or neuropathy. Work with a physical therapist to find an exercise that suits your needs.
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Basic Concepts Of The Mediterranean Diet
The components of a Mediterranean diet include:
- Eat mainlyplant-based foods, such as a variety of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, nuts, and legumes, including lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas.
- Consume a small amount of low-fat protein, either chicken or fatty fish, such as salmon, albacore tuna, or mackerel, a few times per week.
- Limit red meat to a few times a month.
- Avoid salt and instead flavor your meals with spices and herbs.
- Drink red wine in moderation .
- Replace butter with a healthier fat like extra virgin olive oil.
- Limit dairy, including cream, milk, and ice cream.
What Are The Ways To Prevent Parkinsons Disease In A Patient
According to the research done so far, doctors and scientists believe that Parkinsons disease is triggered through a combination of genetic factors and exposure to factors like trauma and certain kinds of toxins and illness. Thus, the Parkinsons disease cannot be prevented as of now since proper etiology is yet to be discovered.
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What Is Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease is a brain disorder that affects a persons physical and mental abilities. As the disease slowly progresses, people begin to develop difficulties walking and talking. They will also experience behavioral changes, depression, loss of memory, sleep problems, and fatigue.
The exact cause of Parkinsons disease is not known, though scientists believe its a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The common thread between all people who have Parkinsons disease is a loss of neurons that create dopamine in the area of the brain known as the substantia nigra.
While there is no known cure, there are several treatment options that include lifestyle changes, medications, physical therapy, and surgery to help a person cope with Parkinsons.
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Your Home And Lifestyle
- Modify your activities and your home. For example, simplify your daily activities, and change the location of furniture so that you can hold on to something as you move around the house.
- Eat healthy foods, including plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, legumes, poultry, fish, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
- Exercise and do physiotherapy. They have benefits in both early and advanced stages of the disease.
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What Are The Natural Remedies For Parkinsons
People often underestimate the influence and effectiveness of natural remedies or lifestyle changes on diseases such as Parkinsons. Scientific research shows us that altering the diet and adding specific nutrients can help. Heres a look at what you can do to improve the quality of life under the influence of this disease:
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An Environmental Research Agenda For Preventing Pd
To prevent PD, our basic and clinical research activities must expand substantially. We present 10 key areas that could help accelerate disease prevention .
Fig. 1
Parkinsons disease Prevention Agenda. Preclinical and clinical research areas of focus to better characterize environmental influence and prevent Parkinsons disease.
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Treatment Of Parkinsons Disease
There is currently no cure for Parkinsons, and this disease is degenerative. Therefore, at this time, the only thing doctors can do for the patient is alleviate the symptoms and try to slow the progression of the disease. There are two leading medical therapies used to treat and control the symptoms of Parkinsons disease: levodopa, which stimulates the brain to produce more dopamine, and carbidopa. Carbidopa is used in conjunction with levodopa to help manage some of the unpleasant side effects of levodopa, which include nausea, vomiting and restlessness. Levodopa can sometimes be reduced when both medications are taken.
Another form of treatment known as deep brain stimulation can help patients who cannot take medication. Deep brain stimulation requires surgical implantation of an electrode within the brain as well as an electrical device in the chest. A painless electrical charge helps to control tremors, slowness and stiffness by stimulating areas of the brain that control movement.
If You Develop A Tremor
Urgent medical care isn’t needed if you have had a tremorâshaking or tremblingâfor some time. But you should discuss the tremor at your next doctor’s appointment.
If a tremor is affecting your daily activities or if it is a new symptom, see your doctor sooner.
A written description will help your doctor make a correct diagnosis. In writing your description, consider the following questions:
- Did the tremor start suddenly or gradually?
- What makes it worse or better?
- What parts of your body are affected?
- Have there been any recent changes in the medicines you are taking or how much you are taking?
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Other Treatments And Preventative Measures
There are a number of holistic therapies that can help alleviate some symptoms of Parkinsons, as well as help prevent them from getting worse. For instance, speech therapy can be extremely helpful for articulation.
To reduce muscle soreness and stiffness, daily walking, yoga, water aerobics or another form of gentle exercise can prevent movement-related symptoms from worsening. Massage therapy can be extremely helpful in this area as well.
Including plenty of fiber in your diet can help with constipation which is both a symptom of Parkinsons and a side effect of the medicine that treats it. You can talk to your doctor about fiber supplements that are available as well.
Movement can help slow the progression of some of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinsons disease, especially balance impairment, muscle weakness and stiffness.
Eat Plenty Of Protein But Not With Levodopa Medications
If youre taking a levodopa medication, your doctor may tell you to avoid protein when taking your meds. Both animal and plant protein can interfere with the absorption of levodopa medications.
But you should still eat plenty of protein. Just be strategic with the timing. Dont take levodopa medications with meals, Dr. Gostkowski says. Its best to take it on an empty stomach either 30 minutes before your meal or an hour after eating.
If you get nauseous from the medication, eat a small amount of starchy food with it, such as crackers. Make sure whatever you eat with your medicine doesnt have protein. Its a misunderstanding that people with Parkinsons should avoid protein, Dr. Gostkowski says. You definitely need protein in your diet. Just dont eat it when youre taking your levodopa medication.
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Care In The Privacy Of Your Home
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Multiple Physical Activities Can Improve Motor And Nonmotor Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease
Mehrholz et al. and Herman et al.s study found that running can improve gait and physical fitness and better safety . Aguiar et al. indicated that regular dancing has the benefit of balance and mobility in PD patients . The rhythmic music used in dancing could activate neurons that are conducive to motor control, accompanied by increasing blood flow in the hippocampus, frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex. This promotion of neural plasticity improves movement, balance, and cognition of the body . Also, Tai Chi and Qigong could upgrade the motor function and balance ability of patients with mild to moderate PD . Yoga provides modest improvements in motor functions, mobility, balance, flexibility, and strength in upper and lower limbs, while helps reduce the fear of falls in Parkinsons patients .
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How Do You Prevent Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease or PD is a type of progressive disease of nervous system. In this case, human brain of a person stops producing dopamine i.e. a neurotransmitter gradually. With less amount of dopamine, individuals fail to regulate their body movements and emotions.
This condition also involves degeneration of basal ganglia present in the human brain and alterations in its other parts and neurotransmitters. The progression of Parkinsons disease problem takes place slowly in human beings and symptoms require many years to develop. Because of this, most of the people may live for many years even by suffering from the problem.
Scientifically Backed Ways To Prevent Parkinsons Disease
Dopamine plays a major role in a variety of mental and physical functions, including:
- Voluntary movement
- Memory
- General behavior
Parkinsons now afflicts roughly 1.5 million people in the United States alone, with primary symptoms being body tremors, slow movement, rigid limbs, reduced memory, a shuffling gait and speech impairment. So we have to ask:
1.) What causes it?
2.) How do we prevent it?
Currently there isnt a known cure, and its not fully understood what causes the dip in dopamine however, we know that aging is the single most important risk factor for PD, with inflammation and stress contributing to cell damage. And we now know enough about the disease to understand the preventative measures that counter the aging and death of the neurons under attack.
Because there is no known cure, its critical that we prevent the disease before symptoms arise. Granted, thanks to recent advancements in modern surgical procedures, there are some safe surgeries that can mitigate some of the more severe symptoms associated with PD. The most common one now is deep brain stimulation, in which they implant an electrode into the brain that can stop some of the more severe symptoms of Parkinsons.
But this article will try to keep it from getting to that point. The less drugs and surgery we can have in our lives, the better.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease
The symptoms of Parkinsons disease include tremors or trembling difficulty maintaining balance and coordination trouble standing or walking stiffness and general slowness.
Over time, a person with Parkinsons may have trouble smiling, talking, or swallowing. Their faces may appear flat and without expression, but people with Parkinsons continue to have feelings even though their faces dont always show it. Sometimes people with the disease can have trouble with thinking and remembering too.
Because of problems with balance, some people with Parkinsons fall down a lot, which can result in broken bones. Some people with Parkinsons may also feel sad or depressed and lose interest in the things they used to do.
The symptoms of Parkinsons disease appear gradually and get worse over time. But because Parkinsons disease usually develops slowly, most people who have it can live a long and relatively healthy life.
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Potential Causes Of Parkinsons Disease
The causes of Parkinsons disease are still unknown, although there is some evidence for the role of genetics, environmental factors, or a combination of both. It is also possible that there may be more than one cause of the disease. Scientists generally believe that both genetics and environment interact to cause Parkinsons disease in most people who have it.
Currently, there is an enormous amount of research directed at producing more answers about what causes Parkinsons disease and how it might be prevented or cured. When physicians diagnose Parkinsons, they often describe it as idiopathic . This simply means that the cause of the disease is not known.
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Complications Of Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons can be a hard disease to live with, which is why there is so much interest in ways to prevent Parkinsons Disease. As the disease progresses, it can affect the patients mental and emotional health in addition to the physical symptoms. Some of the common complications of Parkinsons Diseaseinclude:
- Disturbed sleep: Patients with Parkinsons Disease often have trouble sleeping and may act out their dreams in their sleep.
- Hallucinations and delusions: One of the commonly observed Parkinsons Disease symptomsat later stages is the occurrence of hallucinations, which involve seeing or hearing things that arent there, as well as delusions, which involve fixed beliefs about things that are not true. This can lead to paranoia, panic attacks, and potentially harmful behavior towards themselves or their loved ones.
- Depression and anger problems: Depression, anxiety, and anger can occur as symptoms of disease progression, side effects of medication, and general frustration about being sick and dependent on others.
Add Medication For A Winning Combo
Diet and exercise are important for managing PD, but dont forget about medications. Take them regularly and exactly as your doctor prescribes.
If you tend to forget your medication, set an alarm to remind you. You can also use a pillbox thats labeled with days and times of day. Take your meds on a set schedule, dont skip doses and dont double dose, says Dr. Gostkowski. When youre diligent about taking your medications and following a healthy lifestyle, youll feel your best.
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Model Combined Environmental Exposures
Environmental contaminants are rarely, if ever, encountered in isolation. Toward this end, modeling combined exposures is critical for assessing PD risk in a basic research setting. Such an approach should also consider lifestyle factors, much the way epidemiology studies stratify PD risk based on smoking . This is a difficult task regulatory agencies have struggled with how to deal with chemical mixtures. Besides the challenges of interpreting the scientific findings, the regulations are not designed to address mixtures. However, from a scientific perspective we must try to study the real-life norm of combined exposures.
An example of this strategy was employed to measure the combined toxicity of trichloroethylene with traumatic brain injury , both of which are independently implicated in PD risk, on mitochondrial function in the nigrostriatial tract . In an acute treatment model in male Fisher 344 rats, neither TCE nor TBI alone caused significant reduction in striatal mitochondrial complex I activity, but together produced approximately a 50%reduction in this brain region . As TCE was heavily used by the military until 2007 , exposure to the organic solvent plus combat or training injury are realistic combined exposures that may contribute to PD risk in military personnel . In addition, TCE is substantially metabolized in the body resulting in numerous byproducts that may contribute to toxicity of combined phyiological stressors .
In Summary Reduce Your Stress
The most important thing we can do for our long-term health, both physical and cognitive, is to reduce the stress in our bodies. All stress physical, emotional and chemical causes inflammation and long-term damage throughout the body.
Whether youre seeking Parkinsons prevention techniques or ways to alleviate symptoms, any of the above dietary and lifestyle practices can have long-term health benefits. Drinking green tea, eating organic, local vegetables, and regular aerobic exercise all significantly reduce the long-term cumulative damage done by stress.
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