Today I went to see a neurologist at the Tunbridge Wells Nuffield Hospital. I was thoroughly examined & I really felt the gent knew what he was talking about.
The issue I wanted looking into was my neuropathy as I felt that what was causing my mobility issues. I can’t walk much more than 50 yards & I have gait freezing episodes.
My spine also has old age wear & tear damage in three places & of course I have Atypical Parkinson’s. But I’m only 70, I shouldn’t feel as I do.
His opinion which I accept is that my neuropathy symptoms are “mild”.
He feels all my mobility mobility issues are down to old age & cannot be treated. He recommends physiotherapy & exercising.
Got to say I am disappointed as I hoped there was an operation on my spine that could have solved my problems.
Its always disappointing when all the medics can say its old age and just wear and tear. We dont feel old at 70. We too are resigning selves too similar diagnoses. Diet, physio, excercise is the answer to everything these days
Hello Jandc & thank you for your reply. I really do feel that there is something wrong with me that is not being treated. It feels very frustrating. The neurologist made it clear that he was reviewing my neuropathy diagnosis on its own & not my Parkinson’s. He did mention that I was on a low dose of Co-careldopa [Sinemet], perhaps hinting that my dose needs to be higher. I have had an Mri scan on my spine that shows age related wear & tear damage which again he seemed to be saying that was old age & nothing could be done for it.
Exercise & physio is the “cheap” answer to anything these days.
Don’t just accept it. Find others with similar symptoms and ask them what has worked. Particularly in other countries whose health resources are not so cash-strapped. It’s just taken me the best part of 8 months to get an agreed prescription for clonazepam. I’ve only been on it for 3 days but the results so far are exactly as other users described (a very marked reduction in rigidity). This is allowing me to get a much better night’s sleep which in turn has benefits in terms of reducing the anxiety I was feeling. Doctors were insistent that the anxiety was the cause of the rigidity and poor sleep rather than the other way around.
Hello & thanks for your advice … I have recently been put on Clonazepam & it has made a positive difference to me from a sleep point of view.
My main problem is mobility & gait freezing. The neurologist I saw on Wednesday was basically saying that a lot of my problems are aging & age related issues that can’t be treated, especially my spine age damage. He suggests exercise & physiotherapy.
I stoop a lot & he says my posture is bad.
Hi Steve its the other pain that’s me? In Feb 2022 i had a problem with no feeling in my fingers/hand I just keep dropping things. After seeing Mr A Kovacs he advised that i should have an opp for carpal tunnel (for people who don’t know)it’s the wires in your wrist they are released to give more movment. when I went for a check up. Mr Kovacs said "Right marks out of 10, now me being honest " I said 2 " well you should have seen the look on his face. He walked behind me got hold of my head and gave it a short twist. RIGHT he said ""Well its not your Carpal Tunnel It’s your spine, How right he was. so next was an app with Consultant E A Najjar. next opp decompression and fusion of C3-C6 Feb 2023 Check up last week? transport did not arrive so phone call from one of the spineal Dr. The thing is it is hard to remember what you want/have to tell them on the phone, due of cause to PD and being 78, so now if any DR/GP tells me that I have this or that. I just say to them just add it to the list please. sorry to rambel on, xx