Parkinson Disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with no known cure.
Pharmaceuticals and surgery are options for patients with PD wanting to reduce or alleviate the symptoms.
While PD symptoms can vary from person to person, they may include
Tremors These usually begin in a limb and your hand may tremble when it's at rest.
Rigid muscles Muscle rigidity may occur in any part of your body, limiting your range of movement and becoming quite painful.
Impaired posture The brain of a PD sufferer does not send auto reminders to stand or sit up straight. And combined with the stiff muscles this can lead to stooped posture or rounded shoulders.
This in turn affects the ability to breathe deeply, resulting in softer speaking voice and tiredness.
Low Back Pain Caused by muscle rigidity and poor posture
Loss of Balance This is critical as it leads to falls
Slowed movement (bradykinesia) Over time, Parkinson's disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. Your gait will be affected.
These life changing symptoms mean PD patients look for treatments focussing on the reduction and/or alleviation of symptoms.
A study conducted by PubMed Central [1] looked at Chiropractic Management of an 81-Year-Old Man with Parkinson Disease Signs and Symptoms.
Over time the patient reported a major change in PD symptoms, with the chiropractic manipulation appearing to help his Parkinson disease signs and symptoms.
Chiropractic therapy is based around the connections to the central nervous system, so as such is an excellent complimentary therapy for PD patients.
Chiropractic:
Improves Nerve Function
By removing spinal misalignments caused by the PD posture, nerve cells are then able to function at optimal levels.
When a patient has #subluxations or misalignment in the spine the body cannot communicate to all areas of the body and use its innate ability to self-heal.
These #misalignments can cause interference which disrupts communication in the body. Gentle adjustments will remove these misalignments and allow nerve cells to function at optimal levels of health so that they ensure proper dopamine production and improve Parkinson’s symptoms.
Improves Muscle Control
Parkinson’s disease can cause muscle stiffness or mobility issues that can cause complications, such as difficulty walking or even slips and falls.
Misalignments of the spine add to muscle stiffness as vertebrae that are out of alignment can pull on muscles, causing tightness, tension, and pain.
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring proper alignment and relieving muscles stiffness so muscles can work together more smoothly and effectively. This can help those with Parkinson’s get around easier, improve muscle control, and avoid dangerous slip and fall accidents that can cause further harm and injury.
Use of the Flexion/Distraction & Decompression Table allows for gentle stretching of rigid muscles.
Improves Quality of Life
Chiropractic can slow down the progression of #Parkinson’s disease substantially to improve the quality of life for those with the disease as well as for their family members and caretakers. Spinal health plays a vital role in overall health. Medication may help with managing symptoms, but it only masks the symptoms and can cause other potentially harmful side effects, but chiropractic care seeks to address the root cause of the problem. This improves nerve function to decrease symptoms, increase health and function, and improve overall quality of life.
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[1] Joesph Bova, DC and Adam Sergent, DC