April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month—a time to learn, share, and show support. Over the years, awareness has grown through meaningful symbols and community-driven efforts, yet many people still don’t recognize them. When I proudly wear my tulip pin, I’m often asked what it represents.
Continue reading “From Tulips to Torchlight: Fun Facts and History of Parkinson’s Awareness”Many of my fighters and dancers are choosing to drink non-alcoholic beverages. People with Parkinson’s often find that alcohol reduces their Levodopa’s effectiveness, and can make their Parkinson’s symptoms worse.
If you find that you’re in the mood for a cocktail this holiday season, you should give this non-alcoholic Cranberry Sparkler at try. It is easy to make, very festive looking, and tastes great! It also contains berries (a super food), which are full of antioxidants and are great “brain-food”. So drink up and enjoy!
Continue reading “Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Sparkler Cocktail”
One of my students said he heard at a conference that eating protein interferes with Sinemet, and that this made him confused. “I’ve been on this drug for months and no one ever told me about this. I was told to take Sinemet with food so it doesn’t upset my stomach, so I’ve been eating it with a beef sandwich.” Then another student said, “I have heard three different time frames regarding when to eat protein.”
So I decided to call around and see what pharmacists had to say. While I received several different versions of the rules, there was an underlying reasoning which was consistent.
Continue reading “Why Aren’t My Parkinson’s Medications Working? Could It Be What I’m Eating?”
With Parkinson’s disease, the upper back gets really rigid and stiff. This rigidity, compounded by forward rounding, prevents it from rotating correctly. As a result, the lower back (designed to stabilize, not rotate) must take over, leading to lower back pain. Using pool noodles, this seated exercise can help treat upper back rotation.
Continue reading “How to Use Your Noodle to Improve Parkinson’s Upper Back Rotation”
With Parkinson’s disease, the rib cage gets stiff and flexes forward, causing a lack of rotation in the spine. This stiffness, compounded by the “lats” (the muscles in your back that attach to your arms) getting tethered down, causes difficulty when reaching and straightening your arms. When you can’t rotate in your upper back (thoracic spine), your body will start to compensate by rotating and extending parts of your body that are not meant to rotate. This almost always results in shoulder or back pain.
Furthermore, the eyes may have difficulty tracking a moving or stationary object or finding the next line in a book when reading.
Continue reading “Improve Parkinson’s Stiff Back and Eye-Tracking Issues With This Seated Noodle Exercise”