Types of Exercises that should be a Part of a Parkinson's Patient's Life

Exercise, undeniably, plays a pivotal role in the life of those individuals who are affected by Parkinson's disease. It is not only good for their health, but also an essential factor that helps them to maintain body balance and enhance their mobility as Parkinson's is a Neurodegenerative disorder that causes severe mobility issues. 

According to a recent research conducted on Parkinson's disease revealed that daily exercise will help the individuals in mitigating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease at a greater level. Daily exercises reduce the stiffness and improve the mobility, posture and balance.  Here are few of the exercises that benefit the people with Parkinson's disease.

1. Exercises that Focus on Body Balance:
   Losing control over the limbs is one of the major issues Parkinson’s disease patients face. Simple exercises such as walking and stepping over minor obstacles help people in reducing the stiffness of their muscles and limbs. Few physical activities that involve in our regular life, such as climbing staircases will also help.
   
   
2. Strengthening Exercises:
   Strengthening Exercises, also known as 'Resistance exercise', help the individual to improve their muscle mass and rate of metabolism. Include physical activities such as squats, planks (only if your body supports) and jumping jacks on your exercise calendar.
   
   
3. Endurance Exercise:
   Endurance exercises such as jogging, cycling and swimming can benefit at a great level if practiced on a regular basis. These exercises improve the breathing pattern and cardiovascular functionality which indirectly helps in better oxygen reach to the brain.
   
   
4. Flexibility Exercises:
   Flexibility issues in Parkinson’s patients make the day to day life challenging. The elders will find it difficult even to perform simple physical activities such as sitting on or getting up from a chair, with Parkinson’s disease. Practicing yoga and tai chi every day will help in enhancing the body and limb flexibility.

Apart from these exercises, focus on physical activities such as dancing, aerobics and Jazzercise will help you in deriving the results in a faster way. Also, consider joining in yoga and meditation centers as mental Peace is as important as the regular exercises. Defensive arts such as Karate and Kung Fu will not only help you to improve your physical ability, but also motivates you to fight the Parkinson’s disease.

This is the very reason why few Parkinson's Support Agencies in the western countries encourage their patients to practice defensive art such as boxing and taekwondo with an objective to maintain the physical ability that is empowered with strong positive attitude.

Consistency is the key to derive the best results through these exercises. If performed on a regular basis, these exercises will start showing the results only after 3-6 months. Parkinson’s is tough and the only way to manage it effectively is by being tough on it.

Early Onset or Young Onset of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease develops gradually over time. It is generally diagnosed at the age of sixty. Nearly 10% of overall Parkinson’s affected patients are diagnosed before the age of fifty or younger and these people have shown the early onset of Parkinson’s disease. The disease will grow in the brain and affects the entire central nervous system. The disease can be diagnosed once it got developed and people with young onset PD will show the symptoms sooner than the normal age, which is sixty. Putting things in succinct, the condition of young people having Parkinson’s disease is called the early or young onset of Parkinson’s disease. 

Causes of young - onset of PD

Parkinson’ disease is caused due to loss of cells in the brain that produce dopamine, which controls the motor senses of your body. There are no tests available to detect the Parkinson’s disease. The doctors will evaluate your system and analyze them to determine the presence of Parkinson’s in you. Still, there is neither a particular reason for the occurrence of the disease nor a precise explanation on what causes the disease. Neurologists say the causes might be due to certain genetic factors or environmental problems such as exposure to toxins, harmful chemicals or other hazards. In some cases, early onset of PD is found to be hereditary given that the family members of the affected patients had a history of Parkinson’s disease.

Symptoms of young - onset of PD

Generally, all types of PD have the same Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The time in which you show the symptoms of PD determines it is an early onset or not. Different people show different symptoms of Parkinson’s. 

• In case of young PD, the first ever symptom might be dystonia, unintended muscle contractions
• Depression, stress, anxiety, abnormal mood swings
• Tremors, sudden involuntary movement or shivering of muscles
• Imbalance while walking or doing things and absolute lack of coordination in everything
• Memory loss or early stages of dementia
• Sudden weight loss
• Low blood pressure
• Insomnia or disturbed sleeping, lack of proper REM cycle while sleeping
• Constipation and lack of bladder control

Diagnosis of young – onset PD

The above said conditions are the symptoms of young PD but some of the patients might not show some important symptoms like tremors and other motor associated symptoms and yet have the disease. Young PD is a progressive disease and it is incurable. The growth of PD will be very slow in younger patients. Once affected, it will be there for your entire life and may affect your lifespan. Young PD is affecting mostly the men. Doctors diagnose young PD differently from the normal, elderly PD because normally young PD may not show the normal symptoms of the Parkinson’s disease. Their diagnosis is usually based on the genetic nature of the disease. 

Treatment of young - onset PD

Normally, younger PD patients have the more physical strength and less additional health complications. They can withstand the hard physical therapy treatments given to Parkinson’s disease, unlike the older patients. The treatment also will be based on the genetic condition of the disease like gene testing, gene therapy etc. 

The medicine prescribed by the doctors for the early signs of Parkinson’s disease is levodopa and other dopamine inducing drugs. But these drugs have their own side effects and not advised for adversely affected patients. 

There are various therapies and programs to provide support for Parkinson’s patients. These support programs will help the patients with their disease and give all the necessary aids in both medical and therapeutic needs. 

Parkinson’s Disease – What You need to know about it?

Parkinson's disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders that is mostly seen in the elderly citizens, usually after the age of sixty. It is a movement disorder that is caused by the incremental deterioration of motor function and muscle control due to loss of dopamine-produced by malfunctioning brain cells. Typical symptoms include trembling of the limbs and head while resting, stiffness, slowness, tremors, shuffling gait and impaired balance. With further progression, patients with Parkinson’s disease may experience difficulty to even walk, talk or execute simple chores. Other symptoms may include depression, dementia and anxiety.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) Stages

PD is a progressive ailment with multiple stages, each of which is characterized by typical patterns.

Early PD – Mild Symptoms

Stage 1

• Symptoms are mild and are usually mild and most likely affect only one side of the body  (unilateral involvement)
• Symptoms include tremor of one hand, rigidity, clumsy leg,  facial expression affected on one side

Stage 2

• Symptoms of PD are evident on both sides of the body (bilateral involvement) or at the midline
• Symptoms  are   loss of facial expression on both sides, decreased blinking, speech abnormalities, rigidity of muscles in the trunk

Mid Stage PD-Moderate Symptoms
Stage 3

• Symptoms of PD are characterized by loss of balance and slowness of movement
• Typical symptoms- Balance is compromised, inability to make the rapid, automatic and involuntary adjustments, all other symptoms of PD (as in previous stages) may also be present

Advanced PD

Stage 4

• Symptoms of PD are severely disabled
• Patients are noticeably incapacitated, though they may still be able to walk and stand without assistance. However, they are unable to lead an independent lifestyle completely and require help.

Stage 5

• Symptoms of PD are severe and are characterized by an inability to rise
• Patients are likely to fall when standing or turning and may freeze or stumble when walking.
• Hallucinations and delusions may also occur.

Treatment for PD
Treatment for PD varies from person to person depending upon their health condition and symptoms and may not involve a standardised procedure. It could include

• Medications for increasing the dopamine by simulating receptors in the brain, anti-depressants, anti-tremor drugs and cognition enhancing medications
• Surgical Therapy
• Lifestyle Modifications including regular exercise regimes and getting adequate rest.

Exercises for PD
Exercise and physical activity are a crucial component in the treatment of PD. It helps to maintain balance, improves mobility and aids in performing daily living chores. It should incorporate

• Stretching  exercises for increasing body flexibility
• Aerobic activities
• Exercises for strengthening and improving overall body resistance
• This can be achieved by exercises like biking, running, yoga, dancing, Pilates, weight training and non-contact boxing. The type of exercise chosen depends on existing symptoms and physical limitations. For instance, in sedentary people, merely getting up and doing small movements is beneficial. More physically fit patients may attempt regular and vigorous activities. Exercises also reduce non-motor symptoms such as depression or constipation.

Parkinson Support Program (PSP)
PD includes a broad spectrum of symptoms, including movement- and non-movement-related problems. Hence patients with PD may wish to work with a variety of Health Care Providers (HCP) apart from the specialist who primarily treats the disease.  Parkinson Support Program essentially provides individualized support to both PD patients and their caregivers by educating them about the disease, providing personalised support, making meaningful suggestions for better interactions with concerned physicians about the symptoms and progression and even connecting them with  the correct movement disorder specialist who treats PD. PSP also aids in seeking the help of allied services  like physical therapists for helping  address painful muscle stiffness or a counselor who can provide strategies for coping with depression in PD patients. It is important to have an early professional intervention with   occupational or speech therapists for preventing or delaying future limitations in PD. Thus PSP helps patients manage their functionality and maintain a safe environment despite disease progression.

Conclusion
The progression of PD and the degree to which the body is impaired varies depending upon the health condition of each individual.  However, with proper intervention and treatment, most patients can lead a long, self-reliant and productive life for many years to come.

Yes, Stroke Can be Prevented in these 6 Ways!

Stoke is a dangerous disease unless caught at an early stage. Usually, the result of a stroke is always fatal. The condition happens due to various blockages occurring inside the blood vessels leading towards the brain. The blockage or a blood clot may be single or multiple that prevents the flow of blood, oxygen and other essential nutrients to the brain and starts to show the signs of stroke disease. A stroke can happen to anyone at any time. The complications may lead to temporary dysfunction of the organs to complete paralysis or even death. It is necessary to take proper precautions for stroke prevention. There are certain ways to the prevention of stroke disease

Preventive measures of stroke

• Control the cholesterol level

Fat and cholesterol are the main components which that compose the blockage of the blood vessels which further leads to stroke. Lofty consumption of food with high cholesterol content, saturated fat, trans fat, rich carbohydrate and starch content leads to serious complications and symptoms of stroke disease. At the same time, low cholesterol levels in the body also lead to stroke. So the cholesterol level has to be controlled and kept in check by eating healthy in the right amount of calories and being physically active in order to prevent the risks of having a stroke.

• Lower blood pressure

High blood pressure often leads to stroke. The problem of having high blood pressure will increase the pressure on the blood vessels and rupture them. The condition of high BP has to be controlled with proper medications and treatment from further dangerous health hazards. People with high blood pressure should check their blood pressure regularly and avoid the circumstances causing them high BP. Stress and depression usually cause the blood pressure to increase, so the patients have to stay relived and calm in all situations. Lowering the day to day salt intake also helps in reducing high blood pressure. 

• Quit Smoking

Immense cigarette smoking habit increases the cause of having a stroke. Cigarette consists of a lot different chemical substances that induce clot and other sorts of accumulations inside blood vessels. Prolonged smoking also affects the lungs and decreases the oxygen supply towards the brain which eventually causes a stroke. To quit smoking, use alternatives like gums, pills, patches, medicines etc., or approach professional guidance from doctors and therapists. 

• Control diabetes

People with diabetes also have the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and obesity. The chance of having a stroke for a diabetes patient is always at stake because of the higher sugar level in the blood usually leads to the formation of clots inside the blood vessels. Always restrain the blood sugar level and act as advised by the doctor. Follow proper diet restriction, exercise regularly and strictly take the medicines prescribed by the doctors to keep diabetes under control. 

• Treat Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib)

Atrial fibrillation is a condition of having an irregular heartbeat and heart murmuring. Atrial fibrillation produces blood clots inside the blood vessels that causes both heart attack and stroke. Proper medical treatment is the only way to prevent atrial fibrillation and the symptoms caused. Follow the medications prescribed by the doctors to avoid the complications caused by A-fib. 

• Never get Obese

Obesity is the root cause of all complications like increased cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes etc., and its odds of causing stoke is over the roof. Regular exercise and physical activity lead to a tremendous weight loss which causes a major impact in the body. Even though you are not obese, regular exercise will help to not to develop any symptoms of stroke and other fatal complications.  

The Impact of Parkinson's Disease on Elderly

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder by which people of various age groups are found to be affected today. The disease is common across both eastern as well as western countries.

But how exactly does the disease affect you? Well, it mainly affects the way you move. Our body movement is basically controlled by a chemical called dopamine that is secreted by the nerve cells. Thanks to dopamine, you can move smoothly, just the way you want to. In case of Parkinson’s disease the nerve cells break down and as a result they stop secreting dopamine. Naturally, you cannot move the way you wish to. The symptoms worsen with time and you are likely to face more difficulties with the passage of time.

Parkinson’s disease and Dementia are somewhat related. About 50-80% of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease are found to develop dementia too. It is featured by lack of proper thinking and reasoning. As a result, people may suffer from problems in memory, judgement and lack of concentration. They might also face difficulties in vision and speech or may go through problems of hallucination, depression and anxiety.  They may also get irritated at the slightest of instances.

The symptoms, however, take time to develop and early detection of the disease can help you to treat it and get cured as seen in most of the cases. The main symptoms of the disease include tremor and stiffness in the legs. However, by the time these symptoms develop, you are already 40-50% affected by the disease. So let us get acquainted with the early sign of PD so that it can be detected and diagnosed at an early stage.

Inability to Sleep: This is one of the early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease which doctors often fail to detect. PD patients often suffer from RBD or Rapid Eye Movement Disorder in the initial stage where they tend to act out their dreams. This even includes attacking their partners in certain instances and showing violent behaviour.

Dysfunction of Facial Muscles: Stoppage of Dopamine synthesis affects the facial muscles and this, in turn, results in lack of expression. This may render the person emotionless to the eyes of another. The extreme form of this condition is known as ‘Parkinson’s Mask’. Frequent blinking of eyes and delay in smiling or frowning are also found in certain cases.

Inability to Smell: Sense of smell is also impaired to a great extent during the early stage of Parkinson’s Disease. The patients are often found to be incapable of recognizing the smell of perfumes and other similar stuffs.

Problem in Urinating and Bowel Movement: PD patients may also be found to face problems in urinating and constipation problems. Gastric trouble is also observed in certain cases. This is because the nerve cells signalling the muscles of bladder and those related to bowel movement die out due to the disease.

Pain in the Neck: During the early stage of PD patients are also observed to have pain in their neck. Stiffness, tingling sensation and discomfort may also be there.

Naturally, due to the above mentioned problems caused due to the dying out of nerve cells, the following side effects of Parkinson’s disease may be observed:

Drowsiness: People suffering from PD are likely to feel sleepy throughout the day as they do not have a good night’s sleep. During night, nightmares can make them restless and their sleep might be disturbed. RBD, as already discussed, may hamper their sleep.

Leakage of Urine: Due to improper functioning of the muscles near the urinary bladder, leakage of urine may be observed.

Apathy: Apathy or anxiety is also common and the patients have the tendency to get irritated or lose their calm at the slightest of instances. Their mood as well as personality changes and they cannot behave normally in changed situations and social withdrawals. They become depressed very easily and execution of important tasks might also be affected.

Cramped Handwriting: As a result of Dementia, the routine jobs of a person gradually become slower. The handwriting also becomes small and cramped than usual.

Excessive Sweating: Along with other parts of the body, the sweat glands also stop functioning properly and as a result there can be sweating as well as other skin problems. It may also lead to oily skin and oily scalp.

Reduced Arm Swing: As already discussed, muscles become stiff due to PD and arms cannot stretch across considerable distances, as a result. In other words, the arms do not go where the brain tells them to go.

Thus a Parkinson’s disease patient has to go through all of these or at least some of these problems. The disease affects them mentally as well as physically and hampers their day to day activities severely.  

Tips to regain your Balance after Stroke

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability that occurs because of permanent damage to brain and may lead to difficulty in movement, balancing, pain, memory loss, loss of function (of affected part), fatigue , emotional and psychological problems. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can be temporary or permanent in nature. Many of the Stroke survivors face problems in balancing which may affect their ability to walk and also increases the risk of falling. Besides balancing some people may also have feeling of dizziness or spinning sensation (due to stroke) which can further increase the risk of falling to five times.

Balancing while walking requires coordination between ears, eyes and brain. Any damage caused by stroke in part of brain that control coordination of movement may hamper balancing. Similarly, impaired vision, hearing or inability to process information in relation to affected side of the body may also lead to imbalance. The other evident reason for balance problems in stroke survivors is that one side of the body (unaffected side) becomes stronger than the other.

Physical activity in form of exercise, yoga or any pleasurable activity can bring tremendous change in their lives. Physical activity will not only help in recovering from present disability but also prevent another episode of stroke. Physical therapy makes the patient more independent, boosts confidence, improves overall health and helps reduce depression and anxiety (related to the disease). Physical activity in any form helps improve heart function, lowers BP and the resting heart rate. It improves the overall metabolism. It improves the lipid profile by reducing total cholesterol. It also reduces the risk and severity of diabetes and improves the brain health by increasing strength, tolerance and endurance of the body.

Survivors are advised to start with stroke physical therapy for regaining balance as early as possible (after the stabilisation of the vitals).It may take a while for the body to start walking after a stroke. Initially easy and less strenuous exercises are suggested which can be gradually increased once body’s endurance and strength improves. Aim is to take small steps that will lead to long lasting healthy changes in body. During the recovery period, neither patient nor the caregiver should get discouraged because of the physical disability. Instead a lot of sincere and focused efforts are required on a daily basis (from patient) which will help lessen the symptoms and will lead to increased independence.

Physical activity has countless benefits for stroke survivors. Most common physical activities for stroke patients with severe- moderate disability are stretching the neck, moving/rotating the arm, lifting the knee, flexing and extending the elbows and arms, and ankle rotation on the unaffected side of the body. With the improvement in balancing, gradually the frequency and duration can be increased like, after learning to balance upright while sitting in a chair, next is to learn the transfers safely between bed and chair followed by beginning to learn to walk.

Patients with mild disability have numerous options for exercises such as swimming, walking, stair stepper and use of recumbent stationary bike as well. There are some fortunate stroke survivors who can move all the four limbs without any weakness. But they should also exercise after stroke on a regular basis. They can start with any form of physical activity of their interest e.g. gardening, playing sport, walking or swimming. Nowadays, many visual reality devices are also available which makes the physical activity more enjoyable by giving immediate feedbacks. This encourages the patient for active participation also.

Healthy food habits also proved to be highly effective during the recovery phase. Wisely chosen food items can also help reduce the stroke risk factors. Small frequent meals with large portions of fruits, vegetables and whole grains are advisable. Saturated and Trans fats should be completely avoided. Instead, lean meat and low fat dairy products should be consumed. Smoking and alcohol consumption should be completely stopped.

A Calculative approach on Parkinson's and Stroke diseases progress in India

What is Parkinson's disease? 

Parkinson's disease (PD) is typical degenerative issues of the focal sensory system, in which the development controlling cells of the cerebrum get debilitated, prompting tremors, impeded development, adjust issues, discourse and conduct changes. The primary hindrance in dealing with the illness originates from the absence of mindfulness and feel specialists. 

The yearly death rate per 100,000 individuals from Parkinson illness in India has expanded by 87.9% since 1990, a normal of 3.8% a year. In spite of the fact that this has been the pattern general, alter the channels at the highest point of the perception to perceive how the death rate for Parkinson infection has changed after some time for men and ladies of particular age bunches in India. 

As a guardian of somebody with Parkinson's illness, you can do the following

Right from the early signs of Parkinson's disease, you help keep up the personal satisfaction for your cherished one. You can teach yourself about indications, medicines, and the movement of the infection. You can monitor meetings with the specialist, medicine calendars, and exercise. You can offer the affection and bolster important to address the difficulties of Parkinson's ailment.

What is Stroke disease?

A stroke is caused by the sudden loss of blood stream to the cerebrum or seeping inside the head. Each can cause cerebrum cells to quit working or bite the dust. At the point when nerve cells in the mind bite the dust, the capacity of body parts they control is hurt or lost. Contingent upon the piece of the cerebrum influenced, individuals, can lose discourse, feeling, muscle quality, vision, or memory. 

As of 2013, Stroke is one of the main sources of death and inability in India. The evaluated balanced commonness rate of stroke run, 84-262/100,000 in rural and 334-424/100,000 in urban regions.

Role of Government to handle this deadly disease

The GOI has several concessions for people suffering from Parkinson’s and Stroke disease and for further prevention of stroke

1. Railroad – consent to go in the compartment saved for people with incapacity 
2. Air travel concessions 
3. Transport travel concessions 
4. Wage Tax diminishment benefits 

The Center for Rehabilitation and Education through Distance Mode (CREDM) has thought on making of a devoted Helpline for Persons with Parkinson's disease. This is the first in line to meet one of the destinations of the middle to connect with elderly people with different correspondence issue. The government has started several Parkinson's awareness programs and Stroke support programs.

How individuals can Volunteer or Donate and help FrontEnders Foundation in battling these savage ailments

FrontEnders establishment is Chennai based non-revenue driven association built up in the year 2015 to give a positive societal effect through the different engagement exercises/programs for the assorted groups. 

• Become a Volunteer 

           By becoming a volunteer, you can

• Help at their special occasions 
• Help them to direct mindfulness programs at your working environment or social gatherings 
• Make a Donation 

All gifts made to FrontEnders Foundation are exempted from assessing u/s 80G of IT Act. A receipt will be issued to you within one week after the acknowledgement of your gift in their record.