Since Parkinson’s disease is brought on due to the lack of Dopamine in the brain much of the treatment for the disease relies on ways of replacing, stimulating and substitution of this chemical. Although some very effective drugs have been developed in the treatment of Parkinson’s they do however have their disadvantages, therefore the treatment of the disease doesn’t just rely on medication but on several measures combined together as a package. Some of which include:.

• Exercise.
• Changes in diet.
• General activity.
• Attitude towards the disease.
• Medication.

As Parkinson’s is a chronic disease which progresses the overall aim of the treatment is to maintain the sufferer’s quality of life for as long as possible and not to cure the disease itself. The type of treatment available for you depends on certain factors such as:

• The severity of your symptoms.
• How much distress the symptoms cause you.
• Assessment of possible drug treatments.
• Your personal circumstances.

In order to determine the best possible treatment for the individual doctor and patient will need to be open and honest; this means that if you don’t understand anything that your doctor tells you, you must ask them to make themselves clear. Also you should voice any concerns, fears or worries that you may have regarding the disease.

Medication treatments

Some people with Parkinson’s may from time to time have to visit the hospital when on medication for the disease, this allows for your progress to be checked and alteration to the dosage or drugs needed to be changed depending on your progress. Studies show that early use of Rasagiline may slow down Parkinson’s. It is important that if medication is prescribed for your condition then you know exactly how much to take and when to take it. The patient should also be aware of any possible side effects from the drugs and what steps they need to take in the case of an adverse reaction to the drug.

Holistic therapy

Holistic therapies are now being used in the treatment of more and more illnesses along with traditional medication, possible holistic treatments include:

• Changes to the diet.
• Occupational therapy.
• Aromatherapy.
• Speech therapy.
• Alternative medicine.
• Physiotherapy.

There are many things a person can do to help both themselves and their doctor when suffering from Parkinson’s disease, joining a support group, taking a regular form of exercise plan and maintaining a healthy diet are just some of the possibilities.

Support groups

Support groups can play a crucial role in the emotional aspect of a sufferer’s life and how they cope with living with the disease. Support groups provide a way of asking questions, sharing stories and experiences of the disease and for developing friendships with people in the same predicament as you.

In addition to live support groups several forums can be found online which provide help, support and advice for those suffering from Parkinson’s and the family of those suffering.

Exercise

Although exercise cannot stop the advancement of Parkinson’s disease it can help with the alleviation of symptoms of the disease. A regular form of exercise is crucial in improving flexibility, mobility and balance; exercise can also help with psychological aspects in that it gives the sufferer a sense of achievement and accomplishment in taking an active role in their own care.

Diet

Many people suffering from Parkinson’s have problems with their weight due to loss of appetitive brought on by depression, some people have found that the treatment Levodopa is affected by proteins in foods which then limits their intake of protein which can cause problems in their diet. A full healthy diet which takes in all the necessary nutritional requirements is recommended including eating extra fruit and vegetables to help with one of the symptoms of the disease, constipation.

Speech therapy/occupational therapy

These therapies can offer invaluable aid to the sufferers being able to control their symptoms, physical therapy can help to increase the strength of muscles, increase flexibility and decrease the risk of falls due to imbalance. Speech therapy can help the patient in the pronunciation of words and increase the volume of the voice.

Occupational therapy can help the patient by showing them alternative ways of doing tasks which the patient can no longer do; this gives the patient a sense of achievement and a sense of taking some control back over their life.

Developing a healthy Doctor/patient relationship

Making an accurate diagnosis of the disease especially in the very early stages can be hard, however if the patient and Doctor can establish a healthy relationship from the onset diagnosis and treatment can be easier.

Having difficulty in both speaking and swallowing are just two of the debilitating symptoms which are brought on by Parkinson’s disease, however they are two symptoms which if the patients attends speech therapy can be helped greatly.

Over the last few years advancements in this area of the disease have come forth and a new programme has been developed with the aim of helping those with Dysarthria, which is difficulty in speaking and Dysphagia which is difficulty in swallowing.

The new programme, The Lee Silverman voice therapy programme can now provide significant help for those with these two symptoms of Parkinson’s, besides attending therapy there are also several ways in which you can help yourself.

Tips for improving communications skills

Many sufferers of Parkinson’s find that the muscles in their voice box will weaken as the disease advances, when this happens they will have problems communicating finding it difficult to pronounce words correctly.

Here are some tips to help those suffering enhance their communication skills

• Try not to talk over any background noise such as the television or radio.
• Don’t rush when trying to speak, speak as slowly as you need to.
• Makes sure you talk in a room which is well lit so the person can see your face.
• Only use short phrases instead of long sentences.Make sure you rest before having long conversations, for example if you know you will be taking a long phone call or that you have friends coming over.
• Consider using an amplifier for your voice.

If people have difficulty understanding you then there are several things you could do to help improve the situation and make life easier on yourself and those around you.

• If you can write easily then have a notebook and pen handy and write down the things you are having difficulty in saying.
• If you cannot write easily then consider getting a white board and letters of the alphabet so that you can spell out words.
• Establish a topic before beginning a conversation.
• Use telegraphic speech and leave out any unnecessary words from the topic of conversation.

Think about using an assistive device

There are some devices which can greatly improve your communication skills, these are called assistive devices.

• A palatal lift – this is a piece of dental apparatus which is very similar to a retainer or brace, it works by lifting the soft palate which then stops the air from escaping out of the nose during speech.
• Amplification – the amplifier can help to reduce voice fatigue and also increase the level of the voice for those who are softly spoken.
• TTY telephone relay system – this is a specially adapted telephone which will allow the user to type what needs to be said and this in turn in relayed through and operator to the recipient.
• High tech electronic speech enhancers – these are usually computer aided devices with voice synthesizes in them.