Imagine if access to your doctor or movement disorder specialist via a computer was just a few clicks away. Or…
Medical
With several COVID-19 vaccines now approved for emergency use, many people with Parkinson's have received their vaccines or are registered to do so soon. Have questions about the vaccine and its safety and efficacy for people with Parkinson's? Be sure to speak with your doctor, and explore some of the latest research and reports about COVID vaccines and Parkinson's.
While telemedicine isn’t intended for emergency care (like a broken bone, heart attack, or mental health crisis) or certain procedures (like immunizations or providing samples), it is appropriate and has been found to be quite effective for long-term care, follow-up appointments, issuing prescriptions, and answering simple questions. This makes it a great choice for people with Parkinson’s. Telemedicine eliminates the potential challenges of traveling to an appointment and gives you ready access to your providers when necessary. It also helps you conveniently build and maintain long-term relationships with your care team.
Although the terms ON and OFF have been used to describe responses to levodopa therapy for more than 40 years, there is still no universally agreed-upon definition for the term OFF, and everyone with Parkinson's experiences it differently. OFF periods occur when your medication isn't working optimally, and your motor and non-motor symptoms return. OFF is much more nuanced but understanding its scientific causes can help you minimize it in your daily life.
If you’ve been living with Parkinson’s for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the terms holistic care, supportive care, or palliative care. But you may not know what they mean when it comes to your care, now and in the future. Dr. Christopher Tarolli recently joined us to talk about palliative care and how it is ideal for people living with Parkinson’s.
Dr. Cherian Karunapuzha explains how drinking a glass of water when you take your levodopa helps "flush" the medicine from your stomach to your small intestine, where it is absorbed. Drinking a glass of water and taking your levodopa on an otherwise empty stomach will ensure that more of the medication is absorbed, giving you the full benefit of the levodopa.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, one of the most common questions is “Why?” We have seen many exciting breakthroughs in recent research, but we still don’t have a clear answer as to exactly what causes Parkinson’s. However, there are several promising advances that suggest various roots of Parkinson’s, as well as new insights that challenge century-old assumptions.
Dyskinesia is an uncontrolled, involuntary muscle movement. Although it can be a stand-alone condition, in people with Parkinson’s, it is most often associated with long-term use of levodopa. Common symptoms of Parkinson’s dyskinesia include writhing or wriggling, fidgeting, rocking, and head bobbing.
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