Fight Parkinson's in Wilkes-Barre

The Effects of Brain Games on Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurological disorder that affects movement, coordination, and balance. It is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Symptoms of PD can include tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and impaired balance.

There is no cure for PD, but there are treatments that can help manage the symptoms. One of these treatments is brain training. Brain training is a type of cognitive rehabilitation that uses computer games or other activities to improve cognitive skills such as memory, attention, and processing speed. There is some evidence that brain training can be beneficial for people with PD. People with PD who played a video game that involved problem-solving and planning showed improvements in their motor skills.

Here are some of the benefits of brain games for people with PD:

● Improved cognitive skills: Brain games can help improve cognitive skills such as memory, attention, and processing speed. This can help people with PD to better manage their symptoms and live more independently.
● Reduced symptoms: Brain games may help to reduce some of the symptoms of PD, such as tremor, rigidity, and slowness of movement. This can improve quality of life and make it easier for people with PD to participate in activities they enjoy.
● Increased motivation: Brain games can be a fun and engaging way to challenge the brain and stay mentally active. This can help to increase motivation and improve overall well-being.
If you are interested in trying brain games for PD, there are a few things to keep in mind:
● Choose the right games: There are many different types of brain games available. It is important to choose games that are challenging but not too difficult. You should also choose games that you enjoy playing.
● Start slowly: It is important to start slowly and gradually increase the amount of time you spend playing brain games. Too much too soon can actually be counterproductive.
● Be consistent: The benefits of brain games are most likely to be seen if you play them regularly. Aim to play brain games for at least 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week.

Battling Depression and Anxiety Associated with Parkinson’s Disease

Mood change, such as anxiety and depression, is something that 70-90% of PD patients will encounter after diagnosis. This could be due to self-concerns, family strains, and medication.
Unfortunately, anxiety and depression will cause decreased motivation, poor attitude toward usually enjoyed hobbies, and decreased socialization with family and friends. There are ways to cope with such symptoms to feel less stress about your recent diagnosis. Here are a few ways to combat these symptoms:

1. Exercise
Roughly 120 minutes of exercises or getting your heart rate above 110 bpm for longer than 15 minutes a week is sufficient to create an endorphin release (happy brain chemicals). Helping to improve overall mood after finishing exercise. Exercise can include classes at your nearest gym, going for a walk, swimming, yoga.

2. Increase fruit and vegetables in diet
Including at least one cup of fruits or veggies at each meal is a great way to restore nutrients to the body that it needs to work effectively. We all know that fruits and veggies are necessary for a well-rounded diet.

3. Schedule socialization with close friends/family
Taking the time to open your planner or phone calendar and setting up a specific date to get to together with loved ones will hold you responsible to getting together. Engaging with loved ones, laughing, joking, and even catching up on the latest drama is always a great way to distract you from your recent diagnosis.

4. Play “brain-games”
Ex: Sudoku, cross-words, word search
Getting the brain activated helps to increase the neuron mind-muscle connection will improve motion and brain power. Humans will feel accomplished when they complete a puzzle or correct answers. This helps with the dopamine release which we start to lack with PD.

5. Meditate/ Talk to a Professional
Anytime we can talk about our feelings or our-selves it is a great time to reflect. Do not focus so much on the negative but also on what you can and will accomplish. Setting short-term goals are a great way to stay focused on little tasks.

5 Tips for Navigating Parkinson’s Related Life Changes

Parkinson’s Disease is life changing. For some individuals, diagnosis can be a somewhat of a relief- an explanation for his/her symptoms. Others
may experience loss or grief. Some may not even begin to process the diagnosis until years later.

Coming to terms with a Parkinson’s diagnosis is often the first of many changes a person living with the disease will navigate. The path is
very uncertain. These uncertainties can lead to depression/anxiety as well as other mood changes.

Tip 1: Acknowledge your grief or feelings of loss.

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Throughout life, we experience change. Hobbies, careers, relationships and independence can all change and evolve
with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The thoughts of uncertainty can be frightening for an individual. Acknowledging these feelings can help. Talking to support personnel as well can also help.

Tip 2: Be kind to yourself

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Whether you are a person with Parkinson’s or a care partner, it is important to recognize the challenges you
face and take time out for self-care. Mindfulness, recognizing challenges, exercise and processing challenges can ease depression and other Parkinson’s symptoms

Tip 3: Lighten your load

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Making connections to share experiences, worries, joys etc. is very important. Another individual diagnosed with
Parkinson’s may be going through those same situations and one can realize they are not alone. Reaching out to a local support group or an online discussion board can help one open up about their hopes or frustrations



Tip 4: Build a care team

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All individuals experience symptoms of Parkinson’s differently. Team based care relies on various healthcare
professionals with Parkinson’s expertise to come together to find the best treatment plan for that individual.

Tip 5: Mental Health Care

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Mental health care can help one work through change. Change is inevitable and it is the way one deals with changewhich can help with their overall quality of life.

Parkinson’s Disease – Balance and Falls

What is balance? Balance is the ability to maintain a steady position so that an individual does not fall. There are 3 major components of balance: visual (ability to see), proprioceptive (ability to feel), and vestibular (ability to hear). All three components are needed in our everyday lives’ to stay upright. Balance also requires strong muscles/joints to be able to move correctly and with ease. All three systems as well as muscle/joints tend to degenerate when an individual ages.

Degeneration in other words means to deteriorate or “to lose over time”. With Parkinson’s, the three systems decrease rapidly along with weakness in the muscles. Individuals diagnosed frequently have balance/falls. This is one the most challenging aspects that individuals with Parkinson’s face.

What to do if you are experiencing balance/falls:

● Contact doctor
● Medication may need to be updated/changed to help with falls
● Other medical issues may be going on which can be related to falls (blood pressure for example)
● Contact physical therapist for an initial evaluation
● PTs can evaluate strength, functional movements, falls risk etc.
● PTs can also treat problems with pain, walking, stair negotiation, falls etc to decrease fall risk
● Removing tripping hazards around the home to prevent future falls
● Throw rugs
● Objects laying around
● Install grab bars
● Improve lighting in one’s household
● Getting night lights and other sources of lighting to help prevent falls

5 Helpful Tips to Improve Posture with Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease affects control of automatic nervous system therefore postural changes may occur especially without the brain’s automatic reminders to correct our posture. The most notocible sysmpotoms may include stooped or rounded shoulders, decreased low-back curve or forward-lean of the head or whole body, making you apperhunched over. Here are some helpful tips to avoid the breakdown of posture:

● Exercising up to 30 minutes of low impact exercise a day will keep your body active
● Yoga and pilates also help to strengthen the support muscles in your back and abdominals
● Stand tall. This means straightening your spine, moving your shoulders down to their natural resting position and gently tightening your stomach muscles.
● Try gently moving your head in small circles, or from front to back and side to side.
● Lie flat on the ground for two to three minutes once a day with your arms up like a field goal position.
● Wear flat, well-fitting shoes to assist with even weight distribution, avoidig heels or heeled boots.
● Proper lifting mechnics is also important, avoiding rounding the back

Ready to fight your way back to good posture? Join us at Rock Steady Boxing at Elite Spine and Sports PT :)

How To Fight “Freezing” Episodes

“Freezing” is a common symptom associated with Parkinson’s Disease. What does “freezing” mean? Freezing is when an individual feels as if their feet are glued to the floor and hesitate before stepping forward. Other individuals have often explained it as the “inability to move”. Freezing with walking often leads to falls, therefore learning how to stop or “get out” of a freezing episode is important.

What can I do to help?

1). Think BIG! - Take a big step in any direction and think BIG! When an individual begnis to freeze, their steps become very small which can lead to a fall.

2). Sing a song- try stepping to the beat of the song to help improve walking pattern

3). Step in the opposite direction of freezing episode- if freezing while taking steps forward, try to step to the side or backwards to “get out” of the freezing pattern

4). March- Marching in place before stepping forward again

5). Keep your head up and focus on a target- Keeping posture upright and eyes focused on something ahead of you will help to break out of the freeze

At Rock Steady Boxing and physical therapy people impacted by Parkinson's disease learn a wide variety of techniques to fight freezing.

LSVT VS ROCK STEADY BOXING: TO COMBAT PARKINSON'S DISEASE

When you are first diagnosed with Parkinson Disease, most of us flock to the internet in search of the proper actions to take to combat the disease. Thankfully in 2023, there are endless options for fighting back against PD, and sometimes it’s overwhelming. Research shows that any type of exercises is appropriate and helpful to fight back against PD. There are many options offered here at Elite Spine an Sports PT, two of them being LSVT and RSB (Rock Stedy Boxing). You might ask yourself; how do I know which one is appropriate for me?

Step 1: Set up a FREE screen with one of our knowledgeable physical therapist! (570-970-0402)
Step 2: Educate yourself on both options
Step 3: Laugh, Sweat, and fight back!

Following Step two, what is the difference between the two?

Both RSB and LSVT are GREAT programs to increase strength, improve mobility, decrease gait shuffling, and reduce your PD symptoms. LSVT BIG is an intensive, effective, one-on-one treatment created to help people with Parkinson's disease (PD) to address walking, balance and other activities of daily living (for example, writing, dressing and getting up from low chairs) or even job-related tasks specific to the pateint. LSVT is covered by most insurances and done in the physical therapy clinic or at home depending on your ability level.

Rock Steady Boxing is a fitness class specific to those combatting PD. RSB is a non-contact boxing class specific to improving endurance, strength, ROM, and reducing symptoms such as tremors, shuffling/freezing gait. This is completed in a group, in a fitness class setting. The average class size is roughly 3-6 people.

So, the last question is? Are YOU ready to fight back against Parkinson’s Disease??

Call for your free consult today (570-970-0402)!

Check out our published article in Advance Magazine on Incontinence Management for people with Parkinson's Disease:

Management of Incontinence in Patients with Parkinson's Disease - Elite Learning Management of Incontinence in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease It is estimated that two-thirds of all patients with PD have some degree of bladder problems ranging from complete inability to empty the bladder (urinary retention) to the more common problem of urinating too often (increased frequen...

Let’s Talk About It: P**p!

Unfortunately constipation is one of the major unspoken/unseen side effects of Parkinsons Disease. In some people with Parkinson's disease, constipation may occur due to the improper functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The autonomic nervous system is responsible for regulating smooth muscle activity. If this system is not working properly, the intestinal tract may operate slowly, causing constipation. Also, medications used to treat Parkinson's disease (such as Artane and Cogentin) can cause constipation.

What Else Causes Constipation?

● Not drinking enough water
● A diet low in fiber
● Lack of exercise
● Eating large amounts of dairy products
● Stress
● Antacid medicines
● Other medicines- especially strong pain medicines such as opioids, antidepressants, and iron pills
● Medical problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

How Is Constipation Treated?
● Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day.
● Try warm liquids, especially in the morning (Example: Coffee, Tea)
● Increase the amoung of fruits and vegetables to your diet.
● Eat prunes and/or bran cereal.
● If needed, use a very mild stool softener or laxative (such as Pericolace or Milk of Magnesia)
● Increase your activity and exercise routine