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Tag: Parkinson’s

Hamstrings and Calves Tight Due To Parkinson’s? Address Your Feet!

Posted on by Landtiser

My Early Bird Young Onset boxing class often see me rolling out my feet when they arrive to class. They ask me, “Oh, do your feet hurt?” My answer is, “No, I’m preventing that from happening.” This is a routine I do every morning and night to prevent foot pain and cramps.

Do not take your feet and ankles for granted. You put all your weight on them and expect them to track correctly as you walk, stand, lunge, jump, and even bike. Your feet help calibrate the alignment of the rest of your body. The bones of your feet move with every step influencing how your ankles, knees, hips and spine move and align with one another.

With Parkinson’s Disease feet can cramp, pain, tingle, tremor, pronate, curl up, and collapse due to neuromuscular disconnect, tight tissue, and faulty gait mechanics. Why would you ignore such an important part of your body which can affect your balance and quality of life? You must treat your feet.

Continue reading “Hamstrings and Calves Tight Due To Parkinson’s? Address Your Feet!”

Alert! Deep Brain Stimulation and Swimming May Not Mix

Posted on by Kimberly

The medical community is asking health care professionals to post a warning to those who have had deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery that they could be at risk for drowning.

Here is the warning:

 “Patients and neurologists should be aware of the potential loss of the ability to swim following subthalamic DBS, we warn all patients to be cautious when going into deep waters.” Dr. Christian Baumann, a neurologist at University Hospital Zurich.

Medtronic posted an “Urgent Field Safety Notice” , warning that a side effect of brain stimulators might leave a patient unable to swim.

These are a few examples of the reports:

Continue reading “Alert! Deep Brain Stimulation and Swimming May Not Mix”

How Singing Can Benefit People with Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on by Landtiser

The performers in our PD Rebel Performance Project group already know that singing and dancing are a magic bullet for improved mood and quality of life, but it’s nice to know there is growing research to back up our good vibrations.

Artists don’t need research to convince them that they feel better when they are creating. We do it because it makes us feel wonderful. I do not have PD, but I need my time with my dancers to feel complete.

Continue reading “How Singing Can Benefit People with Parkinson’s Disease”

My Parkinson’s is Causing Stiffness and Pain. What Can I Do to Loosen Up My Tight Muscles?  Part 1

Posted on by Landtiser

Fascia is a thin sheath of fibrous tissue which forms one continuous structure in the body. It has an appearance similar to a spider’s web, and it densely covers and penetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery, vein, internal organ, the brain, and spinal cord. This means the entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia. Fascia plays an important role in the support and function of our bodies.

In the normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration, with the ability to stretch and move without restriction. With trauma, age, and certainly Parkinson’s disease, the fascia loses its pliability and becomes tight, restricted, and a source of tension to the rest of the body. Myofascial restrictions can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain sensitive structures that do not show up in x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc. Continue reading “My Parkinson’s is Causing Stiffness and Pain. What Can I Do to Loosen Up My Tight Muscles?  Part 1”

Can You Have Parkinson’s and Still Be Healthy?

Posted on by Landtiser

One of my fighters with Parkinson’s said she caught herself saying, “back when I was healthy…” She asked me, “Am I healthy? I feel healthy, but I have Parkinson’s, does that make me unhealthy?”
What a great question. It started an important conversation about who are we after PD. Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition of healthy: free from disease or pain : enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit : well.

So according to this definition, no one is healthy, as humans we are always fighting an infection, disease or pain at different times in our lives. But then it goes on to say “enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit.” Continue reading “Can You Have Parkinson’s and Still Be Healthy?”