What is the best way to exercise for Parkinson's disease?

Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
Updated on November 22, 2024
00:00
00:00

Patients with Parkinson's disease should undergo comprehensive treatment and full management. Drug treatment is the core treatment plan, but it is also necessary to include physical rehabilitation and psychological therapy. For physical therapy, patients should be encouraged to exercise more, as this can help improve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. The type and intensity of exercise should be chosen based on the patient's motor symptoms. Tai Chi, jogging, brisk walking, and aerobics are all suitable forms of exercise, and it is advisable to exercise four times a week, with each session lasting about 30 minutes. Evidence has shown that Tai Chi can improve patients' balance disorders, and long-term persistence in exercise can help improve their quality of life.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
50sec home-news-image

Late-stage symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressively worsening neurodegenerative disorder of the nervous system, initially manifesting as bradykinesia, resting tremor, and other symptoms. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become increasingly severe. In the later stages, symptoms may include significant postural and gait abnormalities, such as obvious stooping and difficulty starting to walk, a phenomenon known as freezing, and turning around can also be difficult. Additionally, in the late stages, swallowing dysfunction may occur, leading to clinical signs such as coughing while drinking water and articulation disorders. Furthermore, individuals with Parkinson's disease are particularly prone to falling in the later stages due to impaired balance functions.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
58sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's disease is a relatively common neurological disorder and a degenerative disease of the nervous system, as well as an extrapyramidal disorder. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease primarily include the following: The first major category is motor symptoms. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease mainly include bradykinesia, where the patient is generally slow in all actions, such as slow walking, slow dressing, slow turning, etc. There are also symptoms of increased muscle tone and stiffness in the muscles, along with resting tremor of the limbs, unstable posture, and a tendency to fall. The second major category of symptoms is non-motor symptoms, which are also very important in Parkinson's disease. For instance, patients may experience significant sleep disturbances, a reduction in the sense of smell, dizziness, constipation, frequent urination, and other clinical manifestations.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
55sec home-news-image

Where to treat Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a very common neurodegenerative disease in neurology. Therefore, if Parkinson's disease is suspected, treatment can be sought in the neurology department, which is available in most hospitals. Many neurologists have extensive experience in treating Parkinson's disease. The treatment primarily includes medication and surgery. Medication therapy mainly refers to the administration of anticholinergic drugs or dopamine receptor agonists, as well as preparations of Levodopa. These medications can help improve symptoms, such as reducing muscle rigidity and tremors. Surgical treatment mainly refers to deep brain stimulation, which is suitable for patients who have been clearly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for over five years and whose primary symptom is tremor, without significant dementia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
34sec home-news-image

Is massage effective for Parkinson's disease?

The treatment of Parkinson's disease is comprehensive, with medication being the core method. Surgical treatments can supplement medication, and it is also important to include physical rehabilitation and psychological therapy. When patients have their symptoms and signs controlled by medication, massage can be administered to enhance their motor abilities and coordination, improving symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease. Massage therapy, therefore, has proven to be somewhat effective in this respect.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Yan
Geriatrics
46sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease begins inconspicuously and progresses gradually. There are two main categories of symptoms in Parkinson's disease: motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms. In the early stages of the disease, one can appear normal, or may experience motor symptoms like bradykinesia or rigidity, often starting asymmetrically. Symptoms commonly begin on one side of the upper limbs, and less frequently start from the lower limbs, eventually spreading to the limbs on the other side. Non-motor symptoms can occur at various stages of Parkinson's disease, including the pre-motor phase, such as loss of smell, sleep disturbances, constipation, depression, and more.