BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS: LIVING WELL WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE
There are several neurological diseases that affect the lives of people every day. Most neurological diseases progressively worsen over time and affect even the most basic activities of daily living. Patients often require assistance or full-time caregiving. One neurological disease that has been mentioned frequently in the office is Parkinson’s Disease. Rather than talk to a few individuals specifically, we decided to share our knowledge on the disease so that future patients can be aware of our treatment goals.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological disease that occurs when a chemical messenger called dopamine decreases, and a specific part of the brain called the basal ganglia deteriorates and nerve cells slowly die.
Parkinson’s Disease affects the motor neurons that control body movement. The most common symptoms that worsen as the disease progresses include widespread body tremors, slowed movement, rigid, stiff muscles, poor posture and balance, speech changes that may become flat or monotone, changes in writing patterns, difficulty going to the bathroom that results in constant urgency to urinate or constipation, chronic fatigue, and diminished taste and smell. In late-stage progression memory loss can occur because the same protein that is present in Alzheimer’s Disease called Lewy Bodies increases and reduces cognitive function.
Parkinson’s Disease traditionally commonly affects men more than women and diagnosis typically occurs is around age 70; however, it does affect individuals in their 50s and in more rare cases, younger.
Those who have immediate family members with Parkinson’s are at greater risk of developing the disease, but studies show that ongoing exposure to toxins such as herbicides and pesticides also link to later disease development.
Most people believe that the first signs of Parkinson’s are tremors which is not always the case. One of the first signs that individuals don’t think about too much is the loss of smell and taste. It’s only when tremors and chronic pain occur that patients refer to a specialist for further testing.
What Can We Do to Help?
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for the disease. When a Parkinson’s diagnosis is confirmed, the next step is to prescribe a variety of Parkinson’s medications (the most common being L-dopa) to help slow the progression of the disease.
Another common treatment patients may choose to undergo is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) implantation surgery. DBS involves connecting electrodes to a pacemaker-like device implanted into the chest that generates electrical pulses to the brain that may help reduce Parkinson’s symptoms. Although DBS may have long-term benefits for helping with symptoms, it does not keep Parkinson’s Disease from getting worse.
DBS can be a risky surgery and complications after surgery include bleeding in the brain, injury or death of tissue, infection, skin breakage, muscle twitches, depression, and speech/vision problems.
Knowing that Parkinson’s Disease progressively worsens, many people ask if there are any alternative therapies or lifestyle changes that can slow the progression? Different therapies won’t necessarily slow the progression; however, they may help reduce symptoms. Different therapies to consider are physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, tai chi, yoga, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Studies show that eating a diet high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Doing light-to-moderate intensity exercise a few times a week will help improve body mass, strength and increase blood flow.
From a cognitive perspective, different therapies such as meditation, relaxation techniques or self-hypnosis can help with depression, anxiety and stress. Currently, in the United States, an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 people have Parkinson’s Disease. There are support groups to help those cope with the disease. Joining a group will allow you to be in a community of those who deal with the same issues and who can share both their experiences and lifestyle changes.
There are limited studies on the benefits of providing chiropractic treatment to patients with Parkinson’s Disease, but the one’s we have seen conclude that symptoms are reduced with regular treatment. Regardless, having a Parkinson’s diagnosis or not doesn’t change the fact that nerve interference is present. Our main goal when treating patients with Parkinson’s is to remove nerve interference, minimize symptoms and teach posture and balance techniques for better mobility.
Recently, we began experimenting with our Hakomed device by adding additional specialized treatment to some of our Parkinson’s patients. One of many settings on the device involve using frequency levels between 12,000Hz-20,000Hz. This allows electrical currents to penetrate deeper into nerve tissue and positively reinforce the biochemical structure of nerve cells. Overall, patients have been noting positive feedback and seen slight changes in quality of life.
If you have any questions about Parkinson’s Disease, please call us at (724) 547-3377 and check out our website at www.laurelmountainchiro.com for more content.
Yours In Health,
Brian M. Steinert, DC
Larry E. Wilkins, DC