What is Parkinson’s Disease

An astonishing fact : 1 in every 500 people in the UK has Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In our Physiotherapy Clinics in Sittingbourne and Maidstone, we are seeing more people who have this condition and are looking at Physiotherapy to help them maintain their mobility. Given this, I thought it would be a good idea to write this blog to spread awareness about PD.

So what is PD? In simple terms, it is an age-related movement disorder caused by chemical changes in the brain. The symptoms start slowly and continue to progress gradually.

Classic symptoms of PD:

1. Tremors –involuntary movements or shaking of the fingers and hand.
2. Slowness of movements – difficulty in starting and doing any movement at a normal pace.
3. Rigidity – muscles become stiff, tight and rigid making it difficult to move.

These classic symptoms eventually have secondary effects on the body:

1. Postural changes – bent forward or stooped posture
2. Balance issues – due to changes in the muscle structure and function
3. Memory issues
4. Sleep loss
5. Bladder and bowel incontinence, constipation
6. Psychological effects such as depression and anxiety
7. Loss of taste and smell
8. Difficulty in writing, speaking
9. Loss of facial expressions
10. Swallowing and chewing difficulties

What causes PD and how can you deal with it?

Millions of nerve cells make up our brain. When we lose some of the nerve cells from a certain part of the brain (the substantia niagra), it changes the chemical composition of our brain. This part of the brain produces a chemical called Dopamine which plays an important part in sending the signals through our brain and to the rest of our body. When a person has PD, the levels of dopamine are much lower which leads to a drop in the performance of the brain and then subsequently the symptoms I have listed above. PD also causes a number of biomechanical changes in your brain.

Nobody knows the cause of PD, but researchers have tried to identify any of the possible triggers that can cause the condition. Some say that it is a genetic disease and is caused by abnormal genetic mutations, although in truth, this is rare. Some cases have been linked to exposure to specific toxins and stress

As medicine advances, scientifically proven medication has been developed to help to manage the symptoms. But, PD is a movement disorder and has impacts on the functional abilities of the individual – this leads to a severe effect on performing every day activities such as walking, using the toilet, eating and sleeping to name a few. For the best chance of maintaining the ability to function, Physiotherapy should be started immediately after the diagnosis.

How does physiotherapy help in PD?

A Physiotherapist is a Healthcare professional specialised in the workings of the muscles and nerves. Once you have made the decision to come to see a Physiotherapist, you would start with a detailed assessment and a discussion of the history of the symptoms. Some movement tests will then be done to check the functional capacity and then assessed to see how bad the problem has become. The severity and impact of PD is different for each person and can depend on factors such as age, gender, occupation, support network, medication and any other underlying health conditions. Once you have done the Assessment with your Physiotherapist, the goals will be set for your personalised plan.

This might sound complex and difficult, but actually many of my patients find that the sessions are good fun and actually quite interesting! The exercises are quite similar to the tasks and activities you would undertake in your every day life.

Have a look at my next blog to see all the fun that we have!