Parkinson’s management Sydney are due to loss of neurons (nerve cells) that produce the chemical messenger dopamine within a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. The disease causes tremor, slowness of movement and stiffness. The order in which symptoms appear and progress varies from person to person. Non-motor symptoms such as sleep disturbance, constipation and loss of sense of smell may appear before motor symptoms such as tremor or freezing of gait begin.
The condition can be managed with medicines, surgery and allied health therapies. It is important to see a general practitioner (GP) and a neurologist as early as possible and to get regular reviews of your symptoms and medications. A GP can refer you to a specialist Parkinson’s nurse or a physiotherapist with expertise in PD to help you manage your condition.
Your healthcare team can also include a dietitian, who is trained to give you dietary advice. Research shows that eating a healthy diet can improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s, including reducing the amount of medication you need.
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A physiotherapist with expertise in PD can teach you exercises that will improve your mobility and flexibility. Research has shown that doing regular exercise can make the symptoms of PD, such as tremor and slowness of movement, less severe.
Many complementary treatments for PD are not clinically proven, and some can interact unpredictably with some types of medicine used to treat the disease. If you are interested in alternative therapy, talk to your care team before you try anything new.