Hi everybody,
My grandfather has been struggling with Parkinson's disease for about 5 years. He takes both prescription drugs and natural medicine.
The problem isn't the shaking, but the movement. He can barely move from one room to another. What do you think will help him?
Thank you very much!
It does not matter what we think will help him, it is the neurologist who decides Your grandfather should try and speak to his consultant (phone secretary) or contact his PD nurse. Maybe he can have his next appointment brought forward.
Alexandru
As kate said his neurologist should be helping or try your parkinsons nurse. He may be undermedicated?
Also there is some debate about exercise ... it isnt proven but there's the argumeent 'if yu dont use it u lose it'
ie: if u find a partic movment difficult because of pd ... and you corroborate it by never trying it may get even harder thru 'learned disuse' .
I use a walking machine in the gym and take long steps using the rails as a stabiliser ... its just my opinion bt i think that can help
BUT the NHS should be advising him . How old is he ?
Ojala Andy
Thank you both for your answers.
He is 82 years old. He has PD for about 5 years. Only his right hand shakes a little bit, the biggest problem is walking. He can now barely get out of bed...
Kate and OjalaHey make very good points.
Exercise is good if it is at all possible.
I would recommend Tai-Chi and/or yoga, though they might seem like a rather tall order for your grandfather.
Tai-Chi is hard work on the legs, but does not have the complicated asanas/postures of yoga.
In any case, good luck with everything.
Alexandru, I do understand the problem, as I have most days (and sometimes nights) a very unpleasant period when I cannnot move at all. At such a time any strength I still had, has left my muscles, any control over my limbs has almost completely gone (the arms are slightly more willing) and no matter how hard you try you cannot overcome this. Your muscles tend to seize up and you feel very uncomfortable. This is what PD is about, it is after all frequently called a movement disorder.movement Only drugs can help to get you out of this situation (I got stuck in the High Street and struggled leaning on others to get to a chair in a shop.. That is where the Apo-pen can be useful as it is faster acting than Sinemet or Madopar or Stalevo..
Exercise....I have a problem with the claim of it being of any help in a situation like that. In the early stages, yes, but I think that eventually in the course of the disease that does not play a role anymore, you are in a more advanced stage and the drugs are starting to become unreliable in their action. This is the time where the "On/Off" phenomena start to disrupt your plans for the day. You might not make it to the toilet, you are not ready to go out, etc.
It is , however, important that your grandfather keeps moving as much as he can. Give him the time to go (no matter how slow) from one room to another. Do not let him sit still for long periods at a time (very tempting for a patient to indulge in this, but), movement will become increasingly more difficult . Encourage him and realise that he is uncomfortable , maybe in pain when he struggles to put one foot in front of the other. .
.
Hi Alexandru,
A few more thoughts to add.
Has your grandfather been seen by a neurologist specialising in movement disorders since he was diagnosed? I ask this because It has been known for people to slip through the net and not be followed up.
Has he seen a Parkinsons nurse? They are there to oversee the management of Parkinsons but are not not in every area. You can find out by following the "support for you" link at the top of this page. Please also use the helpline above for expert advice on every aspect of living with PD
People with PD often have particular problems in rolling over/getting out of bed. You would not otherwise know I had PD..but its touch and go whether I make it out of bed at the moment so difficulty with this is not necessarily a measure of how far on his PD is given his age .
If he has had a fall, it can knock the confidence of any elderly person let alone one with PD and it might be useful in any case to ask for him to be referred to physiotherapy .
.
Hi Alex
Hi your gf is a lot older than i Im 68 in pretty good shape except for PD.
One good thing is have him take his morning med before he gets up so it kicks in earlier.
I shuffle also but if I count when I walk 1.2.3 over and over I walk normaly even my arm swing is normal now with counting.
I'm a firm believer now of using my mind to overcome many of my PD issues.
Hope the best for your grandfather.
What is a , 'partic movement'?
benji, it's just an abbreviation of: particular movement
Eg, moving one's hand to scratch one's nose, or lift a comb, etc.
