PARKINSON'S DISEASE
What is Parkinson's?
Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, and writing. It is named after Dr James Parkinson (1755-1824), the London doctor who first identified Parkinson's as a specific condition. Parkinson's has three main symptoms:
Tremor usually begins in one hand or arm and is more likely to occur when the part of the body affected is at rest. Tremor will usually decrease or disappear when the affected part is being used and often |
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becomes more noticeable when a person with Parkinson's is anxious or excited. About 70% of people with Parkinson's have a tremor and it is slightly less common in younger people with Parkinson's.
Muscular rigidity or stiffness is a common early sign in untreated people with Parkinson's. People may experience problems turning round, getting out of chair, turning over in bed, or making fine finger movements, such as fastening a button, because of rigidity. Some people find their posture becomes stooped, or that their face becomes stiff, making facial expressions more difficult. Stiffness can affect many everyday tasks and can sometimes be quite painful.
Bradykinesia means slowness of movement. People with Parkinson's often find that initiating movements becomes more difficult or that it takes them longer to perform movements. Lack of co-ordination when making movements can also be a problem. As well as these three main symptoms, people with Parkinson's may experience other symptoms, such as tiredness, depression, difficulties with handwriting and other forms of communication such as speech and facial expression, and balance.
 What causes Parkinson's?
In the brain, two chemical messengers, dopamine and acetylcholine work in balance to transmit messages between nerve cells and muscles. These messages enable us to perform a range of co-ordinated movements. In people with Parkinson's this balance is upset because some of the dopamine-producing cells are lost. When about 80% of the dopamine has been lost, the symptoms of Parkinson's appear and the level of dopamine will continue to fall slowly over many years.
The reason why the loss of dopamine occurs in the brains of people with Parkinson's is currently unknown. Most researchers believe it is likely that many factors play a role in causing Parkinson's. Areas of research into the cause include genetics, environmental factors and viruses.
How does Parkinson's progress?
The symptoms of Parkinson's usually begin slowly, develop gradually and in no particular order. It is important to remember that everyone with Parkinson's is very different and may have a different collection of symptoms and response to treatment from another person with Parkinson's. The nature and severity of symptoms and the rate at which the condition progresses will also be individual. The symptoms may take years to progress to a point where they cause major problems and when they do, many of these symptoms can be treated. Many people ask: "how will I be in five or ten years?" It is not possible to give any concrete answers to this question because of the individuality of the condition. There have also been so many advances in treatments for Parkinson's that can offer a much better quality of life to people with Parkinson's than was possible a few years ago. This trend is likely to continue.
How is Parkinson's treated?
At present there is no cure for Parkinson's, but there are a range of treatments available to help control the symptoms and maintain quality of life. The main treatment is drug treatments which help control the symptoms of Parkinson's.
Many people with Parkinson's find therapy beneficial for postural control, fitness, relaxation, social intervention, and personal development. Those used for relaxation have been found to be particularly helpful as stress makes the symptoms of Parkinson's worse. Techniques used include acupuncture, Alexander technique, aromatherapy, art therapy, hydrotherapy, massage, music therapy, reflexology, tai chi and yoga.
Client reported benefits for Parkinson's include:
- Reduced pain levels by relaxing associated muscle tissue.
- Reducing stress and tension.
- Increasing mobility and range of movement is sometimes possible.
Medical research on the benefits of Massage for Parkinsons Disease:
Adults with Parkinson's Disease were assigned to receive massage therapy or progressive muscle relaxation twice a week for five weeks. The massage group received higher physician scores on daily living activities and the participants rated themselves as having improved daily functioning and less disturbed sleep. Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Largie, S., Cullen, C., Beutler, J., Sanders, C. Weiner, W., Rodriguez-Bateman, D., Zelaya, L., Schanberg, S., & Kuhn, C. (2002). Parkinson's disease symptoms are differentially affected by massage therapy versus progressive muscle relaxation: A pilot study. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 6, 177-182.
To read more about our therapy click here or to learn more about the general benefits of massage therapy click here
To see if you can receive similar or possibly even better results why not take us up on our offer of a free in-home demonstration.
Remember you have nothing to lose but your pain and just like many of our current clients in the years to come you could be reporting back to us your improved quality of life
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Understanding Parkinson's Disease