Parkinson’s Disease is progressive and can change in severity. Without a cure, the nation has banded together to research and study possible treatments to ease the burden of PD. They found that both physical and mental therapies can greatly reduce the severity of Parkinson’s, and can even improve quality of life.
How Does it Work?
The term “runner’s high” is used a lot, but not many people actually know what it means. A runner’s high is when a person has pushed their body into an adrenaline cycle, causing rises in energy and dopamine levels. This trick is often used to fight depression and anxiety, which are two symptoms that go hand-in-hand with Parkinson’s. These dopamine levels can increase mood, energy, and can even act as a pain reliever. A healthy dose of exercising is always helpful, but don’t overdo it, either. Over-stimulation can be just as bad as no therapy at all.
Exercising also doesn’t have to be running, actually, most doctors wouldn’t recommend a patient with Parkinson’s to be running, anyways. Physical therapies such as strengthening biceps, triceps, and core muscles can improve balance, tremors, and stiffness. A well known therapy is yoga, which can also be done through meditation. It’s a physical and mental exercise that relieves stress while treating PD.
Another therapy that’s often overlooked is writing. It can be therapeutic in many ways, the most important being that it can rehabilitate your hand. Parkinson’s brings on many tremors and stiffness in hands and adaptive writing aids are the first step to recovering function. Not only does it help the physical aspect, but jotting things down in a journal or a piece of fiction can be extremely relaxing and stress free.
There are many options out there for treatments on PD, but consulting a doctor about which treatments to follow is always advised. Living with Parkinson’s can be kind of gloomy some days and if a doctor just isn’t cutting it, a personal physical therapist could do the trick. Not only are they motivational and beneficial to recovery, they’re supportive as well. Don’t let PD hold you back from enjoying a full life, there might not be a cure for Parkinson’s but there’s always an option to adapt and take control again.
