Scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh and University of Southern California discovered that exercise can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease (known as “PD”).
Sat Feb 06 2010] The studies suggest that regular physical activity can help to reduce damage to neurons in the brain that causes Parkinson’s disease.
“Parkinson’s disease is an illness that affects muscle movement,” says Kay Mixson Jenkins, author of the new children’s book Who Is Pee Dee? “Anything that can help to maintain normal muscle tone and flexibility is extremely important.”
Ms. Jenkins was diagnosed with PD when she was just thirty-four. She decided to write her book to help her children understand the disease. The story follows a young boy named Colt as he tries to deal with his mother’s chronic illness.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly 1.5 million Americans; approximately 50,000 are diagnosed with the disease every year.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Exercise has important benefits for everyone regardless of age or physical condition... When your condition threatens to immobilize you, exercise keeps you moving... To retain your mobility and function, use it or lose it.”
Exercises cannot stop Parkinson’s disease progression, but based on the study, regular physical activity can help PD patients to:
• minimize further cell damage.
• decrease loss of cognitive skills.
• increase muscle control and build muscle strength.
• improve balance and coordination.
• reduce depression.
“Unfortunately, there is no cure yet for Parkinson’s disease,” says Ms. Jenkins. “I believe that exercise can help to delay the progression of Parkinson’s and improve emotional well-being, which is very important for PD patients.”
Kay Mixson Jenkins is the Georgia state co-coordinator for the Parkinson’s Action Network, leads the Effingham County Parkinson’s support group and was selected as a Parkinson’s patient advocate for UCB, Inc.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Exercise Effect on Parkinson’s Studied
Researchers at the new Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix launched a study this month designed to determine the physical and neurological impact of simple exercise on Parkinson’s disease patients age 50 to 70.
During the 12-week trial, participants follow a structured exercise program called pole-striding (walking with ski-like poles) three days a week for 45 minutes.
They are monitored and coached by staff members from the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. They wear heart rate monitors and pedometers to measure the intensity of the training.
Participants’ brains are monitored to determine if increased physical activity helps protect the neurons in the brain from the disease.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
During the 12-week trial, participants follow a structured exercise program called pole-striding (walking with ski-like poles) three days a week for 45 minutes.
They are monitored and coached by staff members from the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. They wear heart rate monitors and pedometers to measure the intensity of the training.
Participants’ brains are monitored to determine if increased physical activity helps protect the neurons in the brain from the disease.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Monday, January 11, 2010
Parkinsons Disease Advice On Mobility Products For Parkinsons Disease Patients.
Parkinsons disease is a difficult and frustrating illness affecting one in 500 people in the UK. There are a wealth of services, advice and products on hand that can help with symptoms and side effects associated with Parkinsons disease, making life easier for both careers and patients.
Parkinsons disease or PD as it can often be called is a movement disorder that persists over a long period of time and progressively gets worse. This degenerative disorder attacks the central nervous system resulting in impaired motor skills that cause tremors, muscle rigidity, and slowing or loss of physical movement.
Exercise and mobility are the best things you can do/ or encourage to restore some independence against Parkinsons negative effects. Medical experts view exercise with the same level of importance as medication when it comes to the management of Parkinsons disease. Exercise helps by keeping muscles strong and improving flexibility and mobility, as well as recovering balance and preventing joint stiffening. For example investing in a Pedal Exerciser can help re-establish muscle strength in the lower body and is easy to use in the home.
Getting out and about is important, as it a great source of both physical and mental activity improving the quality of life for the Parkinsons patient. Mobility Aids such as walking sticks are designed to provide support for those who have difficulty keeping their balance. A Parkinson's patient tends to stoop forward and shuffle, so the Quad Cane would be a recommended strong support for the patient. However there is the Walking Stick Seat that as implied in its name, has a seat for when the user feels fatigued and can be easily folded for storage or travel.
Freezing, getting locked in one position is an immobilizing symptom of Parkinsons that prevents the patient from walking. The Parkinsons sufferer cannot seem to focus on taking another step however there is a mobility aid on the market that combats this problem. This mobility product is a laser that come attached to walking stick, beaming a line onto the ground encouraging the user to step over it. To purchase this specialist item, or to request further details please email mail@collinscare.co.uk, or call 01603 483883.
Hand tremors can be an embarrassing symptom of Parkinsons, but one that can often be compensated for by using mobility utensils. For example the Sure Grip Cup has deep groves to resist slippage and the Good Grips Weighted Cutlery has added weight to engage more muscle control. These products and many more allow the Parkinson's patient to remain more independent, which can help with the side effect of depression that can be related to this disease.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Parkinsons disease or PD as it can often be called is a movement disorder that persists over a long period of time and progressively gets worse. This degenerative disorder attacks the central nervous system resulting in impaired motor skills that cause tremors, muscle rigidity, and slowing or loss of physical movement.
Exercise and mobility are the best things you can do/ or encourage to restore some independence against Parkinsons negative effects. Medical experts view exercise with the same level of importance as medication when it comes to the management of Parkinsons disease. Exercise helps by keeping muscles strong and improving flexibility and mobility, as well as recovering balance and preventing joint stiffening. For example investing in a Pedal Exerciser can help re-establish muscle strength in the lower body and is easy to use in the home.
Getting out and about is important, as it a great source of both physical and mental activity improving the quality of life for the Parkinsons patient. Mobility Aids such as walking sticks are designed to provide support for those who have difficulty keeping their balance. A Parkinson's patient tends to stoop forward and shuffle, so the Quad Cane would be a recommended strong support for the patient. However there is the Walking Stick Seat that as implied in its name, has a seat for when the user feels fatigued and can be easily folded for storage or travel.
Freezing, getting locked in one position is an immobilizing symptom of Parkinsons that prevents the patient from walking. The Parkinsons sufferer cannot seem to focus on taking another step however there is a mobility aid on the market that combats this problem. This mobility product is a laser that come attached to walking stick, beaming a line onto the ground encouraging the user to step over it. To purchase this specialist item, or to request further details please email mail@collinscare.co.uk, or call 01603 483883.
Hand tremors can be an embarrassing symptom of Parkinsons, but one that can often be compensated for by using mobility utensils. For example the Sure Grip Cup has deep groves to resist slippage and the Good Grips Weighted Cutlery has added weight to engage more muscle control. These products and many more allow the Parkinson's patient to remain more independent, which can help with the side effect of depression that can be related to this disease.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Monday, January 4, 2010
TAI CHI AND PARKINSONS?
Tai Chi movement’s gentle balance enhancing motions can obviously help the Parkinson’s patient by helping to reduce the gradual loss of balance that Parkinson’s sufferers often experience. However, there may be much more it offers. For example, Tai Chi movements rotate the human body in about 95% of the ways the body can move, when a long form is practiced. This is far beyond what other exercise offers, and in fact the closest would be several swimming strokes, which together would only rotate the body in about 65% of the ways it can move. For Parkinson’s sufferers, or anyone for that matter, this would indicate that by “using” 95% of the body’s possible motion several times a week, the possibility of “losing” the ability to do so diminishes accordingly. This isn’t rocket science, but simple common sense.
Yet, perhaps Parkinson’s patients have even more to gain from Tai Chi. A few years ago I taught several classes at local medical centers. I was continually frustrated because although I’d seen emerging reports that Tai Chi was beneficial to people with Parkinson’s Disease, or arthritis, or chronic hypertension, etc., even though the departments that specialized in those conditions were often just down the hall from my Tai Chi class . . . they might as well have been a million miles away. Because the physicians who ran those departments were either ignorant of or unwilling to refer their patients to the possibilities that Tai Chi offered their lives.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Yet, perhaps Parkinson’s patients have even more to gain from Tai Chi. A few years ago I taught several classes at local medical centers. I was continually frustrated because although I’d seen emerging reports that Tai Chi was beneficial to people with Parkinson’s Disease, or arthritis, or chronic hypertension, etc., even though the departments that specialized in those conditions were often just down the hall from my Tai Chi class . . . they might as well have been a million miles away. Because the physicians who ran those departments were either ignorant of or unwilling to refer their patients to the possibilities that Tai Chi offered their lives.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wii-hab boosts Parkinson's treatments
Nintendo has been sneaking exercise into their consoles for years. With the advent of the Wii and its games like Wii Sports and, of course, the Wii Fit, video games have slowly been growing into something much more active. Nintendo has even created a pedometer for a new version of Pokémon DS. However, scientists are taking the idea of active video games to a new level, using Wii Sports as a unique treatment for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Much to this writer’s delight, the therapy is gaining notoriety under the name of Wii-hab.
Presented at the fifth annual Games for Health Conference, researchers from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) showed how just four weeks of play exacted marked improvements in patients suffering from Parkinson’s at varying degrees of severity. Using games that require finesse in bilateral movement, eye-hand coordination, and figure-ground relationship is an ideal way to help a person afflicted with a disease that impairs motor skills. Playing rounds of Wii tennis, bowling, and boxing three times a week for a month was all the longer it took to see changes.
Dr. Ben Hertz, a director of Occupational Therapy at MCG, explained that “participants showed significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels. Perhaps most impressively, most participants' depression levels decreased to zero.” [MCG] Depression is a major impact factor in Parkinson’s, with at least half of the patients reporting the mental illness.
No neurological studies have been done to solidify the reasons behind the improvement. However, Hertz believes that the combination of exercise and video games helps boost dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter that is severely deficient in Parkinson’s disease. That is the motivation behind using the Wii over another video game system; Wii requires whole-body movement instead of the simple isolated finger movements on a traditional controller.
Expect more results from the new Wii-hab movement. Hertz’s next plan is to investigate the effects of Wii Fit on Parkinson’s with the help of a $45,000 grant from the National Parkinson’s Foundation. "Game systems are the future of rehab," Dr. Herz said. "About 60 percent of the study participants decided to buy a Wii for themselves. That speaks volumes for how this made them feel."
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Presented at the fifth annual Games for Health Conference, researchers from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) showed how just four weeks of play exacted marked improvements in patients suffering from Parkinson’s at varying degrees of severity. Using games that require finesse in bilateral movement, eye-hand coordination, and figure-ground relationship is an ideal way to help a person afflicted with a disease that impairs motor skills. Playing rounds of Wii tennis, bowling, and boxing three times a week for a month was all the longer it took to see changes.
Dr. Ben Hertz, a director of Occupational Therapy at MCG, explained that “participants showed significant improvements in rigidity, movement, fine motor skills and energy levels. Perhaps most impressively, most participants' depression levels decreased to zero.” [MCG] Depression is a major impact factor in Parkinson’s, with at least half of the patients reporting the mental illness.
No neurological studies have been done to solidify the reasons behind the improvement. However, Hertz believes that the combination of exercise and video games helps boost dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter that is severely deficient in Parkinson’s disease. That is the motivation behind using the Wii over another video game system; Wii requires whole-body movement instead of the simple isolated finger movements on a traditional controller.
Expect more results from the new Wii-hab movement. Hertz’s next plan is to investigate the effects of Wii Fit on Parkinson’s with the help of a $45,000 grant from the National Parkinson’s Foundation. "Game systems are the future of rehab," Dr. Herz said. "About 60 percent of the study participants decided to buy a Wii for themselves. That speaks volumes for how this made them feel."
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Video games may have potential health benefits
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative is exploring how digital games can improve health for people of all ages.
Health Games Research, a national program supported by the foundation, awarded about $1.85 million in grants Nov. 5 to study games that engage players in physical activities or motivate them to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Among the grant recipients is the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers there will test the effects of games on the brain activity and facial perception skills of 8- to 12-year-olds who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The games will challenge them to notice subtle differences in faces and expressions, a skill lacking in many children with autism.
Researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., will study three modes of exercise involving: "Winds of Orbis," a video game that uses upper- and lower-body movement to control characters; "Dance Dance Revolution," which involves dancing on a pad that detects a player's steps; and traditional school physical education activities.
Participants will be inner-city elementary school students randomly assigned to the activities. Researchers will measure the students' enjoyment level, attitudes toward physical activity, and amount of exercise and calories burned.
Meanwhile, Teachers College at Columbia University in New York will evaluate the effectiveness of a smoking reduction game application for mobile phones. A group at Long Island University's Brooklyn, N.Y., campus will assess the benefits of "Dance Dance Revolution" in helping Parkinson's disease patients reduce their risk of falling.
"We are seeing a lot of evidence that games are a great environment for learning and for behavior change," said Debra Lieberman, PhD, director of Health Games Research (www.healthgamesresearch.org).
Lieberman also is a communication researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research.
"If you can design a game well that aligns the health goals with the game goals, you can really get people motivated to learn about health and try out new skills," she said.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Health Games Research, a national program supported by the foundation, awarded about $1.85 million in grants Nov. 5 to study games that engage players in physical activities or motivate them to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Among the grant recipients is the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers there will test the effects of games on the brain activity and facial perception skills of 8- to 12-year-olds who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The games will challenge them to notice subtle differences in faces and expressions, a skill lacking in many children with autism.
Researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., will study three modes of exercise involving: "Winds of Orbis," a video game that uses upper- and lower-body movement to control characters; "Dance Dance Revolution," which involves dancing on a pad that detects a player's steps; and traditional school physical education activities.
Participants will be inner-city elementary school students randomly assigned to the activities. Researchers will measure the students' enjoyment level, attitudes toward physical activity, and amount of exercise and calories burned.
Meanwhile, Teachers College at Columbia University in New York will evaluate the effectiveness of a smoking reduction game application for mobile phones. A group at Long Island University's Brooklyn, N.Y., campus will assess the benefits of "Dance Dance Revolution" in helping Parkinson's disease patients reduce their risk of falling.
"We are seeing a lot of evidence that games are a great environment for learning and for behavior change," said Debra Lieberman, PhD, director of Health Games Research (www.healthgamesresearch.org).
Lieberman also is a communication researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research.
"If you can design a game well that aligns the health goals with the game goals, you can really get people motivated to learn about health and try out new skills," she said.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Benefits of Exercise for People Who Suffer From Parkinson’s Disease
Many sufferers of Parkinson’s disease quickly find that various aspects of their life are no longer controllable in the way that they used to be however by exercising regularly Parkinson sufferers can continue to control their gross movements i.e. walking, holding objects etc. for longer which adds a mental and emotional boost to their wellbeing. Research has shown that exercise may also improve the synthesis of dopamine in the brain and increase the levels of neurotrophic factors which are beneficial compounds.
Exercise for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease incorporates muscle strengthening, flexibility and toning activities so that muscles and joints stay flexible and strong. It is normal for a physiotherapist to implement an exercise schedule for the patient that includes a range of activities to work all muscles of the body over a two or three day period. So for example, day one of the cycle may include walking and strengthening exercises for the arms and hands whereas day two might be a yoga class where flexibility of the joints is the main focus.
It is essential to monitor the patient’s progress, not only so that any improvements and decreases in function are recorded but also as a stimulus for the patient; when people see improvement and can visualise the effort that they put in they are much more positive about continuing the regime.
In general exercise should test the entire body and not just the limbs so that posture and movement is maintained for as long as possible. Good posture is essential in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease because stooping can hamper breathing and swallowing. Exercises for posture include callisthenics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and swimming however not every sufferer will enjoy these types of activities. Simply sitting upright while reading a book or watching TV and walking with a straight back will also help though, thus walking the dog or playing with the children or grandchildren are great ways to work the body muscles and to enjoy daily exercising.
Regular exercise for the Parkinson’s sufferer will reduce the incidence of muscle cramps, rigidity of the joints and the aches and pains associated with staying still for long periods of time. Also, because exercise helps the sufferer to maintain control over many of their gross movements (although maybe not the tremors) it gives them a heightened sense of achievement and so stress and anxiety levels remain low. Keeping a positive mental attitude is incredibly important in conditions like Parkinson’s disease where sufferer can very easily become frustrated and discouraged with their predicament.
As with all exercise routines, the patient should start with a good warm up followed by the exercise activity of their choice or which has been scheduled for that day, and then they should finish with a positive cool down so that the chances of developing muscle cramps and injuries are greatly reduced. An exercise session should ideally last around 15-20 minutes and should not by any means exhaust the patient. Overexertion can be equally as damaging to a Parkinson’s sufferer as no exercise at all.
In order to make daily exercise more appealing and less of a chore it may be worth trying to find a friend or relative that is willing to exercise with the patient. Also, a bit of variety in the type of exercise will not only mean that the exercise stays interesting but it will also ensure that all muscles and joints of the body are used to a satisfactory level.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
Exercise for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease incorporates muscle strengthening, flexibility and toning activities so that muscles and joints stay flexible and strong. It is normal for a physiotherapist to implement an exercise schedule for the patient that includes a range of activities to work all muscles of the body over a two or three day period. So for example, day one of the cycle may include walking and strengthening exercises for the arms and hands whereas day two might be a yoga class where flexibility of the joints is the main focus.
It is essential to monitor the patient’s progress, not only so that any improvements and decreases in function are recorded but also as a stimulus for the patient; when people see improvement and can visualise the effort that they put in they are much more positive about continuing the regime.
In general exercise should test the entire body and not just the limbs so that posture and movement is maintained for as long as possible. Good posture is essential in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease because stooping can hamper breathing and swallowing. Exercises for posture include callisthenics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and swimming however not every sufferer will enjoy these types of activities. Simply sitting upright while reading a book or watching TV and walking with a straight back will also help though, thus walking the dog or playing with the children or grandchildren are great ways to work the body muscles and to enjoy daily exercising.
Regular exercise for the Parkinson’s sufferer will reduce the incidence of muscle cramps, rigidity of the joints and the aches and pains associated with staying still for long periods of time. Also, because exercise helps the sufferer to maintain control over many of their gross movements (although maybe not the tremors) it gives them a heightened sense of achievement and so stress and anxiety levels remain low. Keeping a positive mental attitude is incredibly important in conditions like Parkinson’s disease where sufferer can very easily become frustrated and discouraged with their predicament.
As with all exercise routines, the patient should start with a good warm up followed by the exercise activity of their choice or which has been scheduled for that day, and then they should finish with a positive cool down so that the chances of developing muscle cramps and injuries are greatly reduced. An exercise session should ideally last around 15-20 minutes and should not by any means exhaust the patient. Overexertion can be equally as damaging to a Parkinson’s sufferer as no exercise at all.
In order to make daily exercise more appealing and less of a chore it may be worth trying to find a friend or relative that is willing to exercise with the patient. Also, a bit of variety in the type of exercise will not only mean that the exercise stays interesting but it will also ensure that all muscles and joints of the body are used to a satisfactory level.
For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org
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