Parkinson’s | MSTC Lothian

What is Parkinson's? How can we help?

Symptoms

Parkinson's disease signs and symptoms can be different for everyone. Early signs may be mild and go unnoticed. Symptoms often begin on one side of your body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect both sides. Signs and symptoms may include:

A tremor, or shaking, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth, known as a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may tremble when it's at rest. Over time, Parkinson's disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair. You may drag your feet as you try to walk. Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can be painful and limit your range of motion.

Parkinson's disease is often accompanied by these additional problems, which may be treatable:

Treatments

Although there's currently no cure for Parkinson's disease, treatments are available to help reduce the main symptoms and maintain quality of life for as long as possible. These include supportive treatments, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, medication and in some cases, brain surgery.

You may not need any treatment during the early stages of Parkinson's disease, as symptoms are usually mild. But you may need regular appointments with your specialist so your condition can be monitored.

Medications may help you manage problems with walking, movement, and tremor. These medications increase or substitute for dopamine. People with Parkinson's disease have low brain dopamine concentrations. However, dopamine can't be given directly, as it can't enter your brain.

You may have significant improvement of your symptoms after beginning Parkinson's disease treatment. Over time, however, the benefits of drugs frequently diminish or become less consistent. You can usually still control your symptoms fairly well.

Therapies

People with Parkinson’s may find they have problems with everyday movements like walking or getting in and out of a chair or bed. Physiotherapy assessment and support can help maintain and improve mobility, flexibility, and balance to ease non-motor PD symptoms such as depression, or constipation.

Disease progression can lead to the following physical changes:

Loss of joint flexibility, which can affect balance.
Decreased muscle strength or deconditioning which can affect walking and the ability to stand up from sitting.
Decline in cardiovascular conditioning, which affects endurance.

Complementary Therapies

Can help control and relieve pain, which includes headaches, joint pain, and neck pain. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), which provides guidelines to the NHS, only recommends using acupuncture to treat chronic, tension-type headaches and migraines. However, some people have said it’s helped them with depression, anxiety, and insomnia too. Studies have found acupuncture has led to some improvement in Parkinson’s symptoms. 

Oxygen Therapy is able to effectively oxidize and remove harmful toxins, heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses, which are all often present with Parkinson’s. The bacteria that are associated with Parkinson’s thrive in low oxygen.

Oxygen Therapy also kickstarts the body’s natural immune system. Helps stimulate white blood cells, modulates immune reactions, and causes new collagen to grow. A healthy immune system is essential to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

What is Parkinson's? How can we help?

Symptoms

Treatments

Therapies

Complementary Therapies

40c Swanfield EH6 5RX Edinburgh

0131 554 5384

administrator@mstc-lothian.org.uk

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