Understanding Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a condition that affects control over your movements. It’s caused by a lack of dopamine, a chemical that helps the nerve cells in your brain communicate with each other. When dopamine is missing from certain areas of the brain, the messages that tell your body how to move are lost or distorted. This can lead to symptoms such as shaking, stiffness, and slow movement. There’s no cure for Parkinson's disease. But proper treatment can help ease symptoms and allow you to live a full, active life.
Changes in the brain
Dopamine is produced in a small area of the brain called the substantia nigra. For reasons that aren’t yet clear, the nerve cells in this region that make dopamine begin to die. This means less dopamine is available to help control your movements. When healthy, the substantia nigra makes enough dopamine to help control your body’s movements.
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's symptoms often appear gradually. Some may take years to develop. Others you may not have at all. Below are the most common:
- Shaking (resting tremor). This can affect the hands, arms, and legs. Most often, the shaking is worse on one side of the body. It usually lessens when the arm or leg (limb) is used.
- Slow movement (bradykinesia). This can affect the whole body. People may walk with short, shuffling steps. They can also feel “frozen” and unable to move.
- Stiffness (rigidity). This occurs when muscles don’t relax. It can cause muscle aches and stooped posture
- Other symptoms. This includes balance problems, small handwriting, soft voice volume, constipation, reduced or “flat” facial expression, and sleep problems. Memory loss or other problems with thinking may also occur later in the progression of the disease.
How is Parkinson's disease diagnosed?
There is no single test for Parkinson's disease. The diagnosis is based on your symptoms, health history, and a physical exam. You may also have tests to help rule out other problems. These may include blood tests to look for diseases that cause similar symptoms. They can also include brain-imaging tests, such as an MRI of the brain.
Parkinsonism is the name for a group of brain conditions that all have symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. However, the causes of these symptoms are different. In some cases, Parkinson-type symptoms may result from strokes or head injury. They can also be caused by medicines or other diseases that affect the brain. In general, these conditions can’t be treated as well using the medicines that help people with Parkinson's disease.
Treating Parkinson’s Disease:
Treatment for Parkinson's disease has greatly improved over the years. Today, there are many treatments that can ease symptoms and improve your quality of life. These include medicines that help you control your movements. And if medicines aren’t helping, surgery may be an option. Complementary and supportive therapies, such as diet, exercise, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy can also assist in quality of life improvements.
LSVT BIG & LOUD
LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatments) Global is a program that provides innovative and clinically-proven methods for improving communication and movement in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and possibly other neurological conditions.
Lakeland’s certified clinicians treat patients using this program in three convenient locations in Southwest Michigan—Coloma, Niles, and St. Joseph.
While both LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG can help improve function at any stage of Parkinson disease and other conditions, the treatment is most effective when started early. Don’t wait to improve your quality of life. Ask your provider for more information on Lakeland Rehabilitation services or click here.
Medicine
Medicines are the most important treatment for Parkinson's disease. Most types replace missing dopamine or imitate the way dopamine works in the brain. This helps you have better control over your movements. If needed, your doctor may also prescribe medicine for constipation, sleep problems, and other symptoms.
Activity and exercise
Staying active is another vital part of treatment. Regular exercise helps keep your muscles strong and loose. It’s also crucial for overall health. If you’re already active, stick with your routine as much as you can. If you’re not active, now’s the time to start. Ask your doctor which activities are best for you. It also helps to do activities that engage your mind. These include hobbies, crafts, reading, and socializing with friends.
Surgery
Surgery is not a cure. But it may be an option for people whose symptoms are no longer well controlled by medicine:
- Deep brain stimulation is the most common type of surgery. A thin wire is implanted in the part of the brain that controls movement. Electrical pulses are then sent through the wire. This can help disrupt brain activity that causes symptoms.
- Lesioning (pallidotomy and thalamotomy) destroys a small amount of tissue in a specific part of the brain. This can help you have better control over your movements by blocking activity in the brain that causes symptoms. But deep brain stimulation is the type of surgery preferred in most situations.