Parkinson’s Treatment – Options For Management Of Parkinson’s

It is well known that there is no real treatment for the degenerative disease called Parkinson’s disease, which is a movement disorder impairing one’s motor skills, speech and other functions. However by using available Parkinson’s treatment it is possible to manage the disease better and improve quality of life for the sufferer.  The treatment concentrates not so much on cure, since this would mean attempting to reverse damage already done, but upon arresting further deterioration.

The treatment can vary from individual to individual and sufferers usually are required to work closely with their health care provider to devise the best customized treatment for their individual requirements and as per the progression of the disease.

Parkinson’s treatment may include 4 main options

Medication

After a definitive diagnosis of the disorder has been made, medications for managing Parkinson’s may be prescribed. Here the treatment is determined as per the individual’s degree of impairment (physical and cognitive) and the person’s ability to tolerate medication.

Medications may also be decided based on how well they work on a given individual and are usually required to be customized to the individual. So for proper Parkinson’s treatment to be administered, the experience and expertise of the doctor is vitally important.

Rehabilitation

This is an important facet of the treatment since it deals with managing the disease and improves quality of life. Sufferers can be taught movement strategies to get out of bed, get in and out of a car and so on. Grab rails installed in the bathroom, and other alterations such as elevated toilet seats can also help.

Enhancing general fitness levels, speech therapy can also form part of Parkinson’s treatment since they not only help in management of the disease, they also help to elevate mood and energy levels and decrease apprehension and anxiety.

Clinical Research Trials

Since there is a lot of research and experimental Parkinson’s treatment currently being developed, one option available to sufferers of Parkinson’s disease is to offer to be part of clinical research trials. Test drugs and other therapies being developed constantly have to be tested out to gauge their efficacy before they can become effective Parkinson’s treatment.

In general it has been seen that those people who participate in clinical trials tend to fare better than their counterparts who do not. There is the added satisfaction of knowing that one has contributed to the sum of Parkinson’s treatment and future sufferers will benefit from this.

Surgery

This is usually the last used option for Parkinson’s disease after all else has failed to work. Surgical treatment includes procedures such as thalamotomy, pallidotomy or the placement of deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices for patients who are deemed suitable for these procedures.

Recently guidelines for Parkinson’s treatment have also been issued, to help a person make informed decisions about DBS treatments. The ideal candidates for this Parkinson’s treatment are those who are otherwise healthy but who suffer from tremors and other motor problems but who are unable to tolerate medical options.