Parkinson's / Parkinsonism

'Parkinsonism' refers to a number of different conditions which show the same or similar symptoms to Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's Disease is defined as a progressive neurological condition. It is caused by damage to certain nerve cells in the brain - these nerve cells produce the chemical 'dopamine" and once damaged can lead to a number of problems.

Dopamine is a carrier for nerve impulses, and if there isn't enough Dopamine being produced, nerve messages cannot be sent to their correct destinations around the body. This can lead to various physical symptoms:

- Stiffness / Rigidity

- Shaking / tremor

- Slowness of movement

- Falls

- Pain

- Anxiety

- Memory problems

and many more

We don't fully understand yet what causes damage within these cells but research is continually progressing to try to help us manage the disease. Read more about Parkinson's at www.parkinsons.org.uk

There are a number of different types of Parkinsonism:

Idiopathic Parkinson's - The most common type - Idiopathic means we don't know the cause.

Vascular Parkinsonism - Affects people with a restriction of blood supply to the brain, can follows a mild stroke / CVA. Can include memory problems, sleep problems, mood problems as well as physical symptoms.

Drug- induced Parkinsonism - This is rare. Certain drugs are used to suppress the production of dopamine in order to treat other conditions such as Schizophrenia or other types of psychoses. Symptoms tend to be consistent and short lived (once the drug use has been stopped)

Diagnosing Parkinson's / Parkinsonism is difficult - It would need an assessment with a Specialist who would take a thorough history and attempt to make a diagnosis. As symptoms are so similar and progress over time, being definitive in your diagnosis is very tricky.

Physiotherapy and Parkinson's / Parkinsonism

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends Physiotherapy to help with the management of Parkinson's / Parkinsonism. As Parkinson's can have a profound effect on movement and motor skills, regularly engaging in exercise can help maintain function & movement. Evidence is now suggesting that increasing exercise to 2.5 hours per week can SLOW THE PROGRESSION of Parkinson's symptoms. Read more about that HERE

Are you or someone you know a sufferer of Parkinson's or Parkinsonism?

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