A Self-Help Approach to Parkinson's Disease

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD), it is easy to feel overwhelmed or believe there is nothing you can do. After all, PD is a chronic, progressive disease for which there is presently no cure. But, there is plenty you can do to improve your life or that of someone you love.

Self-help strategies can help improve the quality of life for those with PD. Self-help strategies can't cure the disease, but they can slow its progress and reduce the severity of symptoms. In addition, many new drugs can slow the progression and eliminate many aggravating symptoms. The self-help techniques offered here can help you maintain your independence for as long as possible. Perhaps most important, they can foster a sense of well-being and serenity in your life.

What Is Self-Help?

Self-help is a positive approach to your condition that says, "I have power. I have responsibility. I can make a difference in my disease." There are four important elements of self-help:

1. Attitude

2. Knowledge

3. Partnership with your doctors

4. Taking action

Attitude

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that attitude can significantly affect a person's health. For example, research has found that people who are chronically hostile are more likely to suffer heart attacks. Our minds and bodies are connected. Although eating right, exercising, reducing stress, and getting enough rest are all important, your attitude is perhaps the most essential element of self-help.

We do not yet know how attitude affects the physical aspects of PD. For instance, we do not know whether an upbeat attitude only lessens symptoms or actually slows the progression of the disease. However, we do know that a positive attitude can improve the quality of your life. It can make you feel better. It can also enable you to take the self-help steps you need to keep feeling as good as you can for as long as you can.

Knowledge

Another essential tool of self-help is knowledge. It is important that you and your loved ones learn all you can about PD — what it is, what causes it, its symptoms, and treatment options. Stay abreast of the latest developments in research and treatment. Equipping yourselves with knowledge will reduce your fears and enable you to make the best-informed medical choices.

Partnership with Your Doctors

Self-help does not mean doing everything by and for yourself. Because you have a serious, progressive disease, your doctors must play a major role in your care.

The old model of health care presumed that the doctor had all the power and made all the decisions concerning your medical treatment. By contrast, the self-help model acknowledges that you are an active partner with your doctors in your health care. Self -help comes with responsibilities. For instance, your doctors must select the right medicine in the correct dosage for your symptoms. Your job is to take the right amount of medication on time, keep track of your symptoms and side effects, let the doctors know how the medication is working, and report any problems you may be having with the treatment regimen.

Taking Action

Taking action means doing the things that make you feel better, slow the disability, and keep you independent for as long as possible. You can use specific self-help strategies to improve your diet, take your medications on time in the right amounts, reduce stress in your life, and get adequate rest. We will discuss each of these strategies further in the coming chapters.

By adopting a positive and upbeat attitude, equipping yourself with knowledge, partnering with your doctors, and taking action, you will give yourself the best possible chance at living better with PD.

What Is Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's disease is a progressive brain disorder. Doctors often call it a disorder of the motor system, which is the nerve system that controls body movement. Parkinson's disease (PD) occurs when brain cells, or neurons, decline and cause a deficiency of the brain chemical dopamine. This chemical (one of the brain's neurotransmitters) affects the part of the brain associated with muscle control, attention, learning, and the brain's pleasure and reward system. Low dopamine levels bring about the symptoms of PD.

Major Symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person. For example, a certain symptom may develop early in one patient but develop much later (or never) in another patient. Symptoms may come on quickly or very gradually. In fact, sometimes the symptoms can be subtle and a person won't notice them for months or longer. Symptoms may affect one or both sides of the body. Often, a symptom will start on one side of the body and become more pronounced on that side.

Tremor

Trembling can affect the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face. The classic PD tremor is a rhythmic back-and-forth movement of the thumb and forefinger, sometimes described as "pill rolling" because the tremor resembles the action of rolling a pill between the forefinger and thumb. The tremor usually begins in the hand but may also begin in the foot or jaw. About 75 percent of people with PD develop tremor; in the early stages of the disease, the tremor affects only one side of the body. The remaining 25 percent of PD patients never develop significant tremor.

Stiffness or Rigidity

For the body to move smoothly, opposing sets of muscles must alternately relax and contract. In a person with PD, muscles of the limbs and trunk may remain constantly tense and contracted. This may cause aching, stiffness, weakness, and jerky movements.

Slowness of Movement

Called bradykinesia, slowness of movement is an unpredictable and frustrating symptom of PD. One moment, you move easily. The next, you need help. Simple tasks, such as dressing, that were once performed easily may become difficult and time consuming.

Impaired Balance and Coordination

This symptom may prevent someone with PD from performing certain motor functions, making the individual fall easily or have a stooped posture. These symptoms tend to worsen over time. Eventually, the person with PD may experience difficulty walking, talking, or completing otherwise simple tasks.

Other Possible Symptoms

Depression and Emotional Changes

It is common, especially early in the disease, for people with PD to develop depression. Drugs used to treat PD symptoms sometimes worsen depression. However, some antidepressant drugs may safely and effectively be taken alongside these...