Please welcome guest contributor Dwight Roth to the PD Fighters Corner.

Parkinson's Opportunity: New Faces of Treatment for an Old Disease

We live in one of the most crisis-filled eras in human history. This is also a time of great possibility for positive changes we could not have imagined twenty years ago. For Parkinson’s, we have greater opportunities to slow the development of and/or reverse the ill effects of the disease.
Parkinson's, or a disease very like it, has been referenced as early as 5000 BCE. In India, it was referred to as Kampavata in the Ayurvedic medical treatise. In the second century CE, the Greek physician Galen called it “shaking palsy.”

This old disease ...

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month! To ring the month in right, we are highlighting educational, advocacy and philanthropic actions you can take to join the fight against Parkinson’s Disease. The Parkinson’s Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation both have great resources on how to make an impact during Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Read below for insight in how to help.

Education

Take the #KnowMorePD quiz on the Parkinson’s Foundation website. This quiz is a great test of your PD knowledge, including how many people in the US are affected by PD, the symptoms people with PD experience, and more. You may be surprised by some of the answers!

You can also find ...

from guest contributor, OT doctoral student Ariel Schmidt

On average, a caregiver will spend the equivalent of a fulltime job on caregiving duties. While this blog post may be aimed for the families and loved ones of those with Parkinson’s disease, it is something everyone can learn from. This is a list of some of the more common challenges many face as a caregiver and advice on the situation.

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  Patience: There may be times when you, as a caregiver, feel like your patience is being tested. This can happen in many forms, but just remember that your loved one is not being slow or taking their time on purpose. Find a way to help decrease your frustration or perhaps you can find humor in the s...

Parkinson’s Disease complicates many aspects of life. Driving to the store, going on a walk, having a conversation with friends—your relationship to all of these activities changes with PD. For those whose parents, siblings, spouses, or partners have Parkinson’s Disease, watching their loved ones grapple with this disease can be truly heartbreaking. If someone you love lives with Parkinson’s Disease, find support and care at the Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center.

Fit2Care, an exercise class specifically for caregivers and loved ones of PD, is held at the PEWC on Saturday mornings. This class has proved an important avenue for many of our members’ spo...

Advocate for Yourself & Others with Parkinson's Disease

Please welcome Occupational Therapy doctoral candidate Ariel Schmidt to the PD Fighters Corner. Ariel has included vital resources on how to advocate for yourself and your loved ones with Parkinson’s Disease. Advocacy can result in greater public awareness of the disease and legislation to increase access, education, and funding for research. Learn how to become an advocate for people with Parkinson’s Disease below!

From OT doctoral candidate Ariel Schmidt

Advocacy. It is so important, but where do I start? Luckily for us there are so many resources that we can utilize to help us take the first step to advocate for ourselves, o...

from guest contributor, Dwight Roth, a new PD Fighter at the Parkinson's Exercise and Wellness Center.

Parkinson's Opportunity: Embracing Fear

Parkinson’s is a hideous, horrific disease. Symptoms can include tremor, gait problems, memory loss, and, sometimes, wanting too much of a good thing. The effects of Parkinson’s keep me, in two words, ­off balance in many areas.

Despite this, P.D. gives me the opportunity to grow in positive ways. This growth has granted me entry into positive realms unknown before I was diagnosed. I may experientially know what Shakespeare meant when he wrote about “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” This is good fortune if I can t...

Stick Mobility: Movement & Mobility at the PEWC

In early January, the Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center added yet another highly beneficial class to its schedule, Movement & Mobility. Using the liberating method of Stick Mobility, our coaches have been guiding the PD Fighters in expanding their flexibility, range of motion, strength, and coordination.

Nancy Harrington, a PD fighter, said of the class, “I felt opened up and refreshed afterward.” George Weaver has attended many of our Movement & Mobility classes. About its benefits, he said, “I've had muscle spasms in the back and chest for months… I went to my first class getting all of those pulls & stretc...

Introducing The PD Fighters Corner

With much hope for its future, we introduce The PD Fighters Corner, a new blog from the Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center. This blog will feature insight into the Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center, collaborations with local PD professionals and nonprofits, and more.

2020 In Retrospect

Any other year, a year-in-review blog might highlight accomplishments, growth, and goals for the next year, but the PEWC, like the rest of the world, has never experienced a year like 2020 before. Though we very much intend to celebrate our accomplishments in this article, we also acknowledge the struggles and losses that accompanied these successes. W...