Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition. People with Parkinson's don't have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brain because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working. There are over 150,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK.

It can affect anyone – well-known people with Parkinson’s include Billy Connolly and Michael J Fox. The lead singer of Del Amitri, Justin Currie, announced that he’s had a diagnosis, and talks about his experience with the condition in this news article.  

There’s no single thing that causes someone to develop Parkinson’s. Latest research shows that it’s probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors, but nothing’s been pinpointed.  It’s important to say that while there may be a genetic factor, it’s very rare for the condition to be passed down through families. 

Here at the Centre, we have more than 100 people with Parkinson’s accessing our services, and many of the services we offer help maintain and improve fitness and strength, which is a great help with the various symptoms. 

If you've got Parkinson's, or you're a Carer for someone with the condition, then you might find some of the following information useful.  

Some of the symptoms

The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease affect physical movement:

• You might have a tremor which affects your arm or hand, and which worsens when the limb is relaxed.
• Sometimes, slowness of movement makes everyday tasks difficult, and you might walk slowly, with small steps.
• You might have some muscle stiffness accompanied by cramps.  

Treatments and Therapies

Effective treatments for Parkinson’s vary from person to person, and your medical team will recommend the best ones for you.   

As well as medications, there are various therapies available, such as speech and occupational therapies.  Here at the Centre, we concentrate on physical therapies, and our qualified physios and gym instructors are experienced in helping people with Parkinson’s to maximise their potential and maintain levels of strength and mobility.  

One-to-one physiotherapy is beneficial, supported by sessions in our accessible gym, our group sessions such as Pilates or Balance, and if it’s a day when you can’t get to the Centre, you can book onto our online sessions. Physical activity is important – it can help with mental health as well as physical wellbeing.  Here's a really interesting study of the positive impact of exercise on the progression of Parkinson’s.   

Have a chat with a member of our therapies team about the options available to you and the best way to deal with your physical symptoms.

Mental Health Support 

We know that living with a long term neurological condition can be challenging emotionally as well as physically. If you’re struggling, our Mental Health support team is here to help you whether you have a condition or care for someone else. You can choose from one-to-one counselling, group sessions, delivered online and in person. There are drop in counselling sessions available, or if you want to vent, offload or just feel listened to, we have a Listening Service available.  If you feel you could benefit from someone to talk to, contact [email protected] to discuss what will be most suitable for you.    

Mindfulness has been shown to be beneficial with Parkinson's -  Parkinson's UK has with some useful videos, or if you’d like more personalised mindfulness, book onto Beth’s session via our booking page in the Member's Area of the website.

Caring

Caring for someone with Parkinson’s can be challenging and exhausting, as well as highly rewarding. It’s always useful to read up about the condition so you understand what’s happening to the person you care for, and talk to them about what they want and how they want to manage their condition.   

Get in touch with your County Council social services department and make sure you’re getting all the support you need. There are organisations dedicated to giving help and advice for Carers, help arranging carer’s assessments and to make sure your home is properly adapted to the needs of the person with the condition.    

Making a schedule can be a help, not just for timing of medication and meals, but for daily activities and exercise. Make it flexible, so you can build in some fun stuff for yourselves as well. Here at the Centre, our welcoming and friendly café is a great place to just sit and have a cuppa, or you can go off and have some ‘me’ time knowing your loved one is safe and being looked after. 

There’s a dedicated page for Carers on our website – you can find it here.  

General Advice and Information 

If you want any further information, we’ve got lots of leaflets at our Information Point in the corner of the café. The NHS page and the Parkinson’s UK website are also both excellent sources of guidance. 

Don’t forget, here at the Centre, we are always happy to help with advice and support, and if we can’t give you an answer to your question straight away, we’ll do our best to find the information you need.