Parkinsons is a broad term - my Grandfather was diagnosed with it for 20 years, but it didn't really do much to him beyond making it hard to write legibly... Michael J Fox, on the other hand, seems to be struggling quite a bit more. When the first DBS coverage hit 60 minutes, three generations of our family got together to watch it. The before/after improvement was indeed dramatic, but the after condition was still far worse than anything we have experienced in our family.
You're absolutely right about: use it or lose it. Staying as active as possible is the best protection for continued function of those activities.
My (probably oversimplified) understanding of the effect of exercise on Parkinson's is that you keep training neurons to do what the dying neurons used to do. Of course that stops when you run out of neurons.
That is one important factor. At work we did some experimental treatment of Parkinsons that involved improvement of circulation, that had some fairly dramatic effects, not a cure by any means, but a reduction in symptoms of "shuffle-gait" which increased ability to continue activities / slow the decline. Shutdown of circulation accompanies many conditions, including chronic bed rest, and accelerates decline of many functions.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday August 06 2019, @01:11PM (2 children)
Parkinsons is a broad term - my Grandfather was diagnosed with it for 20 years, but it didn't really do much to him beyond making it hard to write legibly... Michael J Fox, on the other hand, seems to be struggling quite a bit more. When the first DBS coverage hit 60 minutes, three generations of our family got together to watch it. The before/after improvement was indeed dramatic, but the after condition was still far worse than anything we have experienced in our family.
You're absolutely right about: use it or lose it. Staying as active as possible is the best protection for continued function of those activities.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Tuesday August 06 2019, @02:06PM (1 child)
My (probably oversimplified) understanding of the effect of exercise on Parkinson's is that you keep training neurons to do what the dying neurons used to do. Of course that stops when you run out of neurons.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday August 06 2019, @02:48PM
That is one important factor. At work we did some experimental treatment of Parkinsons that involved improvement of circulation, that had some fairly dramatic effects, not a cure by any means, but a reduction in symptoms of "shuffle-gait" which increased ability to continue activities / slow the decline. Shutdown of circulation accompanies many conditions, including chronic bed rest, and accelerates decline of many functions.
🌻🌻 [google.com]