My partner has developed a pronounced list to one side, sometimes he is bent over almost at right angles. Not surprisingly, it limits the distances he can walk and affects sitting. At times he can straighten up but it never seems to last. Does anyone have experience of good ways to deal with this? He is on the list for physio ....
Hi, I have this problem when my medication is wearing off or I'm not very well, which makes my meds not work so well. Recently though it's got worse so I've adjusted my meds, slightly increased the dosage, and my postures improved dramatically.
Perhaps your husband needs his meds reviewing?
Kind regards
Cutiepie
Perhaps your husband needs his meds reviewing?
Kind regards
Cutiepie
Hi, I have found pilates to be useful. This strengthens your trunk and so allows you to hold yourself more upright - i have definitely found it helpful
best wishes
best wishes
parkinsons ,like old age will bend the body.it can contort a person in all sorts of ways,but usually it will bend you where the dominant muscles pull the body.no one bends backwards as the skeleton won't bend back much but it can bend forward and does so because the stomach muscles are dominant and because of lack of movement in them they bunch up and pull the body down. also the powerfull shoulder muscles tighten so hunching the shoulders,and the biceps tighten and pull the arms in and the same with the hands and fingers thus giving the clawed hands.the muscles in the legs are also very powerfull and tighten .i think its called the lower calf at the back of the leg usually outpowers the shin muscle so pulling the foot down and possibly making it easier for some of us to run instead of walk.this is why the foot can be hard to lift off the eccelerator when driving(it can take a conscious effort,a sort of burst of adrenalin).the foot can get pulled down so much it makes sticking to the speed limit difficult in some cases.the neck is a different case because the muscles are powerfull at the sides and back but not much at the front.but because the head is very heavy it can just "slump" forward or forward towards one side or the other depending on which muscles are weaker.parkinsons sufferers can get a lot of stiff neck problems because the muscles are contracting away from where the head wants to go.sometimes the powerfull backneck muscles tighten so much they pull the head back while the rest of the body is bent forward .this can be painfull.also parkinsons effects internal muscles as well,bunching the stomach and making digestion and bowel movement slow especially with the slumping forward effect.in short people with parkinsons have litterally everything to overcome.what can be done about it? all sorts of things but i have heard some people say they take muscle relaxant pills to ease the tightening .when you think about it this makes good sense although they can "bog down" the liver as with all medicines so take time to cleanse your inards to aid digestion etc .if you can manage it ,work on stretching and posture at least every day.massage is also beneficial and so is a vibro plate and also walking.make it your hobby to develop as good a walk as possible .carrying a brief case can help for arm swing. but whatever you do it will take perseverance and determination but it is possible to straighten up and claw back some ground.all the best i am not saying my methods work or that my theories are right i am just saying the way i see it
MY husband told the PD nurse that I often "bounce off the walls" at home. Perhaps he sees things I dont. Does anyone else notice they do this?
Thanks 'rubbish' for your very detailed explanation of muscle spasms - this information is so useful.
For the past 9 months I have been having abdominal pain on the right side and my dr arranged tests for every organ connected with digestion, reproduction, and finally xray of spine - all to no avail. I have kept suggesting that it is probably part of pd and now I can say that other pd sufferers also get unexplained pains.
JoyceBH
I too 'bounce' off walls on occasions. This usually happens when I have had an 'off' period and then the medication suddenly kicks in. There comes such a surge of energy to get jobs done that I literally whizz round the bungalow hitting every wall as I go!
For the past 9 months I have been having abdominal pain on the right side and my dr arranged tests for every organ connected with digestion, reproduction, and finally xray of spine - all to no avail. I have kept suggesting that it is probably part of pd and now I can say that other pd sufferers also get unexplained pains.
JoyceBH
I too 'bounce' off walls on occasions. This usually happens when I have had an 'off' period and then the medication suddenly kicks in. There comes such a surge of energy to get jobs done that I literally whizz round the bungalow hitting every wall as I go!
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HI thanks MaryLlainwen. Perhaps I could get my husband to have so much energy round the house!!
Hi rubbish,
I also found your descripion on muscles informative.The foot on the pedal and internal muscles especially.I find that having applied the break,it takes a great conscious effort to bring my foot back to the excellerator.My wife looks at me as if to say "what are you doing".
Hi MaryLlainwen,
Like you,for most of 09 i was having internal investigations,urologist and bowel.Same thing,initially instigated when passing blood in urine.Dropped below 10 stone in weight.All tests negative.Was diagnosed pd in November and am now back up to 11 stone.Can only assume all are linked to pd.Still have probs but i have had to adapt around each one because the doctors don't seem to have a clue.I asked the same"could everything be linked","oh no they said".Was made to feel like everyhing was in my head.
Anyway,getting by in my own way
All the best
Titan
I also found your descripion on muscles informative.The foot on the pedal and internal muscles especially.I find that having applied the break,it takes a great conscious effort to bring my foot back to the excellerator.My wife looks at me as if to say "what are you doing".
Hi MaryLlainwen,
Like you,for most of 09 i was having internal investigations,urologist and bowel.Same thing,initially instigated when passing blood in urine.Dropped below 10 stone in weight.All tests negative.Was diagnosed pd in November and am now back up to 11 stone.Can only assume all are linked to pd.Still have probs but i have had to adapt around each one because the doctors don't seem to have a clue.I asked the same"could everything be linked","oh no they said".Was made to feel like everyhing was in my head.
Anyway,getting by in my own way
All the best
Titan
Thank you all for your insights and help.
Best wishes
Best wishes
ericamclay , these might help.
Parkinsons affects all the muscles . One of the first symptons I noticed in respect of my husband was a lean to the right side in his case along with poor arm swing . The next thing I noticed was the same thing happening to the right side of his face it looked liked his eye was drooping as well . Then his mouth would drop open if I mentioned it to him he would close it , but it would immediately drop 0pen again ..
I began to worry that he might have had a mini stroke , or maybe a tumour , I didnt want to tell him and fighten him ..
I noticed his foot would drop onto the car pedal and sometimes slip off ..
We even changed to a smaller car I thought the car was to wide for him .. Needless to say although his licence wasn't taken off him we are at the moment selling our car ,I a do not drive unfortunately .
We do and will miss the independance of the car but safety of ourselves and others is paramount ..
When he was much younger he used to say that he would give the car up when he became of an age when it was not safe for him to drive but it is easier said that done , but once decided its one less worry/stress
I began to worry that he might have had a mini stroke , or maybe a tumour , I didnt want to tell him and fighten him ..
I noticed his foot would drop onto the car pedal and sometimes slip off ..
We even changed to a smaller car I thought the car was to wide for him .. Needless to say although his licence wasn't taken off him we are at the moment selling our car ,I a do not drive unfortunately .
We do and will miss the independance of the car but safety of ourselves and others is paramount ..
When he was much younger he used to say that he would give the car up when he became of an age when it was not safe for him to drive but it is easier said that done , but once decided its one less worry/stress
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non-chronic leaning is called 'pisa syndrome' - shows neurologists do have a sense of humour! usually caused by drugs.
chronic leaning seem to be caused by pd affecting one side before the other - so if you tremble in your left hand first, you will eventually lean to your left. (interesting to know if anyone doesnt fit this)
so if the leaning came on very suddenly it might be able to be fixed by changing drugs, so i believe. worth talking to your doctor in that case.
chronic leaning seem to be caused by pd affecting one side before the other - so if you tremble in your left hand first, you will eventually lean to your left. (interesting to know if anyone doesnt fit this)
so if the leaning came on very suddenly it might be able to be fixed by changing drugs, so i believe. worth talking to your doctor in that case.
hi Turnip,
My first spasms were on my left side...my foot, then later my hand, and when I'm having a "leaning day" I do lean to the left. When they tested my walking, I could not put my right foot in front of my left while walking without falling to the left. Had to catch myself, before I landed on the floor. I see the neuro. again on Aug.24th, to discuss my MRI tests...and my diagnosis. Think I know what he's going to say. We go on our vacation (holiday, as you say in the UK) Sept.4-18, so I dont want to start any meds until we get back. Read too many stories here in PD land about nausea, etc. that I dont want to mess with our vacation.
hope you are all having a good nite....almost bedtime here.....
My first spasms were on my left side...my foot, then later my hand, and when I'm having a "leaning day" I do lean to the left. When they tested my walking, I could not put my right foot in front of my left while walking without falling to the left. Had to catch myself, before I landed on the floor. I see the neuro. again on Aug.24th, to discuss my MRI tests...and my diagnosis. Think I know what he's going to say. We go on our vacation (holiday, as you say in the UK) Sept.4-18, so I dont want to start any meds until we get back. Read too many stories here in PD land about nausea, etc. that I dont want to mess with our vacation.
hope you are all having a good nite....almost bedtime here.....
Please see my post under "Treatments". "Camptocormia - does anyone else suffer from this?"
I would have posted it here but I did not find the section until afterwards.
I would have posted it here but I did not find the section until afterwards.
Bill leans to the left now and needs a cushion to keep him upright in his chair.
His parky side is the right side, He is left handed though which may have something to do with it. Its interesting that most of you seem to lean towards your parky side.
annesel
His parky side is the right side, He is left handed though which may have something to do with it. Its interesting that most of you seem to lean towards your parky side.
annesel
Forgot to say Bill has an almost permanent back problem.
I think its muscle spasms. He can still walk a short way on a good day
but the effort it takes is taking its toll I think.
Annesel
I think its muscle spasms. He can still walk a short way on a good day
but the effort it takes is taking its toll I think.
Annesel
annsel my pd is on the rite ,im rite handed,ilean to the left more and when i wailkin i vere off to the left to,bump in to things that way
My parky side is on my left but I lean to the right,could it be because I have a slight curve in my spine (does anyone else have a curve?)or the fact I`m more left handed than right.
Annesel
I see that Bill leans towards his non-PD side.
I forgot to say in my previous post that my hand and foot problems, which are definitely PD, are on the right, but my lean was to the left. Not only when I was walking, but increasingly sitting down too. I belong to a choir and we often sit while learning notes. While I was concentrating on reading the music and singing, I would find myself leaning across the lap of the lady next to me. It was embarrassing although she was very nice about it. During a concert I had to stand at the end of the row and lean heavily on my stick to keep upright. This meant a juggling act when I had to turn a page, swapping my stick into my right hand and then back to my left, without dropping the stick, and still coming in on time with the next note! Fortunately, I only had one concert while I was this bad, the Sinemet treatment has relieved the difficulty to a large extent, so that I can do without the stick during a concert.
Also like Bill my back problem (which I have had for some years) was made much worse by the leaning.
Like Ali j, before the Sinemet, I used to veer off to the left when walking and bump into things. My partner noticed that I had a curvature in my spine (like Joval), but we do not know if that was caused by the leaning or was there before, but unnoticed. Would increasingly leaning for a couple of years produce a curvature? Since starting Sinemet, I have had physiotherapy to relax overused muscles and straighten my back. However, some days I still feel very weak around the left side of the waist, hence my alias, Loose Hinge.
I see that Bill leans towards his non-PD side.
I forgot to say in my previous post that my hand and foot problems, which are definitely PD, are on the right, but my lean was to the left. Not only when I was walking, but increasingly sitting down too. I belong to a choir and we often sit while learning notes. While I was concentrating on reading the music and singing, I would find myself leaning across the lap of the lady next to me. It was embarrassing although she was very nice about it. During a concert I had to stand at the end of the row and lean heavily on my stick to keep upright. This meant a juggling act when I had to turn a page, swapping my stick into my right hand and then back to my left, without dropping the stick, and still coming in on time with the next note! Fortunately, I only had one concert while I was this bad, the Sinemet treatment has relieved the difficulty to a large extent, so that I can do without the stick during a concert.
Also like Bill my back problem (which I have had for some years) was made much worse by the leaning.
Like Ali j, before the Sinemet, I used to veer off to the left when walking and bump into things. My partner noticed that I had a curvature in my spine (like Joval), but we do not know if that was caused by the leaning or was there before, but unnoticed. Would increasingly leaning for a couple of years produce a curvature? Since starting Sinemet, I have had physiotherapy to relax overused muscles and straighten my back. However, some days I still feel very weak around the left side of the waist, hence my alias, Loose Hinge.
I honestly blamed my chairs for my tendancy to lean to my right (goodish side) Even replaced them - still same problem. Poor bed is in thhe dog-house. Sitting & lying down are so very uncomfortable