Can an active lifestyle be an advantage for Parkinson’s disease? Below listen to the story of Jimmy Choi and how his life changed when he started to exercise often.
Not only can regular physical exercise have a positive effect on movement disorders, it can directly or indirectly affect the brain, restoring previously affected neural pathways (Oliveira et al, 2018).
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and can cause symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and slowed movement. While there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, there are treatments available to help manage the symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.
Then, is it better without medication?
No it isn’t. Some people misrepresent stopping the drug as improving symptoms. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to educate PD patients on medication timing and adherence (Grosset & Grosset, 2007).
It is possible that your symptoms have improved due to a combination of factors, including medication, supportive therapies such as physiotherapy, and lifestyle changes. Therefore, it is essential to work with your doctor to determine the best course of action for managing your condition and maintaining your quality of life.
If you are not sleeping well, and anxiety that depress you,
People often overlook the psychological and emotional impact of the Parkinson’s disease. While motor symptoms are widely recognized as a hallmark of Parkinson’s, the psychological and emotional symptoms can also be debilitating and significantly impact patients’ quality of life (Khatri et al., 2020).
Many Parkinson’s patients struggle with depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues, yet they often go undiagnosed and untreated. This is because many patients focus solely on the disease’s motor symptoms while ignoring the psychological and emotional symptoms. Addressing the psychological and emotional symptoms of Parkinson’s can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life. By recognizing and treating these symptoms, patients can better cope with the challenges of the disease, leading to improved outcomes and greater overall well-being.
Another key factor I want to tell you..
While medication and exercise can help manage the symptoms of PD, nutrition plays a critical role in maintaining symptoms (Seidl et al., 2014). The current scientific literature on the link between nutrition and Parkinson’s disease highlights the importance of nutritional factors in the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Targeted nutrition may also slow PD progression. Therefore, I recommend you consulting with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional to help you develop a balanced and nutritious meal plan.
Reference
Grosset, K.A., Grosset, D.G. Effect of educational intervention on medication timing in
Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Neurol 7, 20 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2377-7-20
Khatri, D. K., Choudhary, M., Sood, A., & Singh, S. B. (2020). Anxiety: An ignored aspect of parkinson’s disease lacking attention. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 131, 110776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110776
Oliveira de Carvalho, A., Filho, A. S. S., Murillo-Rodriguez, E., Rocha, N. B., Carta, M. G., &
Machado, S. (2018). Physical Exercise For Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical And Experimental Evidence. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH, 14, 89–98. https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901814010089
Seidl, S. E., Santiago, J. A., Bilyk, H., & Potashkin, J. A. (2014). The emerging role of nutrition in parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00036