BROOKINGS You can literally put your foot forward on Aug. 3 if youre looking to give a boost to the South Dakota Parkinson Foundation.
Brookings will host a Step Big Walk event on the track at Brookings High School, 530 Elm Ave., with registration starting at 8 a.m. and the walk beginning at 9 a.m. Online registrations, along with donations, can be made at SouthDakotaParkinson.org just look for Brookings under the events tab. The cost is $35 for adults, and $25 for youth, with those 6 and under free. You can also register as a virtual walker.
All of the proceeds will stay local in South Dakota. Ongoing updates can be found on Facebook at Step Big Walk for Parkinsons.
What is Parkinsons disease, and how might it affect you?
The Parkinsons Foundation cites that nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease. This number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030.
Parkinsons is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. Many individuals may know a loved one, friend, or acquaintance diagnosed with Parkinsons. The disease predominately affects the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps to coordinate nerve and muscle cells.
Without enough dopamine, people with Parkinsons may experience a variety of symptoms, including:
- Tremor, mainly at rest, which can cause difficulty with fine motor movements and handwriting
- Slowness and less amount of movement (called bradykinesia and hypokinesia)
- Limb stiffness (rigidity)
- Gait and balance problems (postural instability)
- Soft or low voice volume and difficulty with swallowing
Symptoms may also be unrelated to movement and could include restricted or nonexistent expression of emotion, depression, anxiety, hallucination, orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, and cognitive impairments. Although the cause is largely unknown, researchers believe that genetic and environmental factors are the cause. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinsons. Treatment options are different for each individual, but can include medications, lifestyle adjustments, and surgery to place a stimulator unit in the brain.
Living with Parkinsons
The most important step to living well with Parkinsons disease is to understand the disease and the progression. It affects each person differently. Not everyone will experience all the symptoms of the disease. Even if people do, they wont necessarily experience the symptoms in quite the same order or at the same intensity.
It is possible to have a good quality of life with Parkinsons. Working with your doctor and following recommended therapies are essential in successfully treating symptoms. This may include use of dopaminergic medications, such as carbidopa-levodopa, to help replace low levels of dopamine in the brain. Notably, motor symptoms of Parkinsons only become evident later in the course of the disease, after 60% to 80% of the dopamine-producing have already been lost or impaired.
While symptoms and disease progression are unique to each person, knowing the typical stages of Parkinsons can help individuals cope with changes as they occur. Some people experience the changes over 20 years or more. Others find the disease progresses more quickly.
One might ask what they can do if they have Parkinsons or feel that they may be exhibiting some concerning signs or symptoms. First and foremost, a conversation with your primary care physician would be indicated. He or she would be able to help by referring you to a neurologist, who is a doctor that specializes in the brain and its functions.
The neurologist may refer you for occupational, physical, and/or speech therapy, which would help to improve your overall function. Therapy services will also fabricate a specialized program for exercise and movement as well as provide information for support groups and/or social workers to help navigate the diagnosis.
Resources in Brookings
Those who are familiar with Parkinsons know that symptoms can be debilitating and life altering. It is important to have a strong support system in place. Our Brookings community has a Parkinsons support group. It meets monthly at First Bank & Trust, 520 Sixth St., in meeting rooms 2 and 3 in the basement. Future dates include Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 4, Nov. 7, and Dec. 6. Meeting time is 1:30 p.m.
Additionally, Brookings Health System offers the LSVT BIG program, which includes evaluation and treatment sessions with certified physical and occupational therapists. The four-week, one-hour long sessions are individualized and tailored to the challenges that you or your loved one notice with daily life. If you would like to learn more about the program or visit with a certified LSVT therapist, call 605-696-8060.
This story was submitted by Jamie Halvorson and Samantha Drealan, occupational therapists and certified LSVT BIG clinicians at Brookings Health System.
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