Parkinsons Disease:

Parkinsons disease is a disorder that affects nerve cells (neurons) in the part of the brain that controls muscle movement. Nearly one million Americans currently live with Parkinsons and approximately 50,000 more receive a diagnosis of the disease every year.

People with Parkinsons often experience trembling, muscle rigidity, difficulty walking, and problems with balance and coordination.

The symptoms develop gradually, typically beginning with trembling in one hand. Advanced stages may include tremor, slowness of voluntary movement, shuffling gait, loss of balance, slurred speech and over time an increasing dependence on others.

Parkinsons disease results from the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra, a small region of the brain. Dopamine is required to control movement and low levels of dopamine result in the typical symptoms of Parkinsons.

Parkinsons is not easily diagnosed because there is no specific test for this disease. At this time, there is no known cure for PD, however, PD is not a fatal disease. When treated with medication and exercise parkinsonians can live long and productive lives.

The variety and severity of symptoms vary from patient to patient. Most patients do not experience all of the symptoms associated with PD. The progression of symptoms usually begins on one side of the body and with time can progress to the opposite side.

People with Parkinsons experience difficulties transmitting neurological impulses, in some ways similar to a telephone switchboard with some of the lines crossed. Parkinsons symptoms can also be compared to surfing the internet with a slow speed dial up connection including the pauses, delays & even disconnects. A normal nervous system transmits neurological impulses instantly, more like an information Super highway.

Parkinsons is considered to be a disease of older adults. Although patients under the age of 40 have been diagnosed with Parkinsons the large majority of people affected by Parkinsons are over 50 when diagnosed.

Local chapters of the The National Parkinson Foundation can provide information about Parkinsons support groups in your area. Some of the larger local chapters offer organized exercise programs for members of their community. Daily exercise may be as important as medication in treating the symptoms of PD. Strength, flexibility, & mobility can be maintained and improved with daily exercise therapy.

Why Exercise is So Important

Daily exercise therapy is one of the best things that you can do for yourself to counteract the negative effects of PD & other neurological & muscular disorders. A lack of physical activity reduces the amount of oxygen to the brain, contributes to further cell damage, loss of cognitive skills and muscle control.

Exercise brings additional oxygen & glucose to the brain, both of which are crucial to brain function. The body responds by forming new capillaries to bring the additional blood to nerve cells and by boosting brain chemicals that protect neurons and strengthen new neuronal connections. We have learned from stroke victims that the human brain has the ability to create new connections and bypass damaged areas to regain lost motor skills & muscle control. Remarkable results have been achieved, over time, with daily mental & physical exercise therapy. Mental concentration on repetitive physical movements can provide benefits to our muscles as well as our mental ability to control them.

When nerve cells are deprived of stimuli they atrophy, suggesting that stimulation of the central nervous system by physical activity may retard the loss of nerve cells in the brain and elsewhere. Exercise has been shown to enhance blood flow to various parts of the brain as well as to increase the speed with which nerve messages travel through the brain.

In addition to the effects of Parkinsons, most people diagnosed with this disease are over the age of 50 and therefore are also experiencing the normal effects of aging.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• As muscles age, they begin to shrink and take longer to respond
• Tendons become stiffer & less able to tolerate stress
• Handgrip strength decreases, making routine tasks more difficult
• The heart muscle becomes less capable, making us tire more quickly
• Joint motion becomes more restricted & flexibility decreases
• Joints become inflamed and arthritic as the cushioning cartilage begins to breakdown

However the good news is, that we now know that most of the changes in our musculoskeletal system that were attributed to normal aging are in fact the result of inactivity and or insufficient physical exercise. The less physical activity and exercise we do the less capable we become.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Exercise has important benefits for everyone regardless of age or physical condition... When your condition threatens to immobilize you, Exercise keeps you moving... to retain your mobility & function, use it or lose it".

As an exercise therapist for the Parkinson Assn. of S.W. Florida (a National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence), Susan Branco, a member of the National Council on Aging & the American Senior Fitness Association has seen first hand the positive results that her therapeutic exercise program has on participants in her classes.

Susan's program (described below) is now available on video, for use in the privacy of your home. If you or someone you know has Parkinsons, using this program daily, can make a difference.