One of the more challenging Parkinson’s disease symptoms that my dad navigates is stiffness or rigidity, which makes the mornings hard on him. He does his morning stretches to counteract the problem, but it puts a hamper on his groove. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the stiffness comes…

If you thought Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) was only used to reduce wrinkles and fine lines caused by aging, think again! It’s also used to treat many types of medical conditions, including the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. I now have firsthand experience with using Botox for Parkinson’s…

The activity of multiple genes in the brain varies according to sex among people with Parkinson’s disease, a new study reports. These differences may contribute to discrepancies in how Parkinson’s tends to affect men and women. “While males have a higher age-adjusted disease incidence and are more frequently affected…

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is known to affect oral health because of disease-related symptoms. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, physical issues such as rigidity, shaking, uncontrolled movements, and even balance problems can prevent a person with PD from keeping up good oral hygiene. Increased or decreased amounts of saliva, which…

Scientists at two Australia universities are developing a program that will study the effects of exercise on movement and balance in people with Parkinson’s disease. Researchers at James Cook University (JCU) and La Trobe University are seeking ambulatory patients who are able to perform twice-weekly…

I had a pretty good day recently. It was better than I’d had in a long while. I remember thinking that I could forget I had Parkinson’s disease if every day was like that day. But every day isn’t like that one. Every other day usually begins with being slow…

Wailing, with tears flowing, I cry out, “I feel terrible! I can’t even think straight!” My partner runs over and hugs me hard. I am lost and have nothing left to give. This is one way that “crossing the threshold” affects my life. It rarely happens — once every…

Everything’s not all right or OK. Like it or not, we have a chronic disease that won’t go away. Our days are consumed with uncontrollable thoughts; they ravage our minds, threaten our souls, and grasp for our spirits. Will we ever be “us” again — those beings who…

A palm-worn device can quantify joint stiffness in Parkinson’s disease patients by tracking changes in rigidity following treatment with deep brain stimulation, and may be of use in measuring fluctuations in motor symptoms, scientists who created the tool report. Their study, “A Palm-Worn Device to Quantify Rigidity in…

Loud and alarming sounds can reduce muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s disease patients treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), a study suggests. The study, “Influence of alarming auditory cues on viscoelastic stiffness of skeletal muscles in patients with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Clinical Biomechanics. Almost…