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- Stephanie Soto
- Apr 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 20
With today being World Parkinson's Day, I wanted to take a minute and share ways you can spread awareness.
Share on Social Media
There are several pre-made Parkinson's awareness pictures that are ready for you to download and share on all social media platforms
Spark The Night: A Beacon of Hope in Our Fight Against Parkinson’s.
"Spark the Night" represents our mission to illuminate cities worldwide in unity and support for the 11.8 million people living with Parkinson’s. On April 11, 2025, each blue light will shine as a symbol of a story, a voice, and an unwavering commitment to a better future for those affected by the disease.
STAND UP TO PARKINSON’S
STAND UP TO PARKINSON’S represents global members of the Parkinson’s community who know that exercise can slow the progression of the disease.
On April 11, 2025 join individuals and organizations from around the world in the commitment to stand up to Parkinson’s Disease by collectively completing 2,000,000 Sit to Stands in 24 hours!
30-Mile Move Challenge
This challenge is all about achieving 30 miles your way in April, during Parkinson's Awareness Month, while raising funds for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to support breakthroughs that will benefit every life touched by Parkinson's disease, helping us get one step closer to a cure.
Register for a Moving Day
Finger lakes: May 3rd
Westchester County: May 17th
Time Square Billboard
The PD Avengers have a digital billboard on Times Square this week. It's a :10 video that airs every 90 seconds. See the video below or visit it in person!
Donate
Several organizations contribute to research advancements, local initiatives, legislation changes, education, and so much more. Please consider donating or sharing this message with family and friends this World Parkinson's Day. Let's all continue the fight to end Parkinson's.
- Jud Eson
- Apr 5
- 2 min read
Most are familiar with what Deep Brain Stimulation is, but did you know it could have an impact on your speech? DBS can be applied to two parts of the brain, the globus pallidus internus or the subthalamic nucleus. Both have different impacts on our speech. Let's dive in.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) can have both positive and negative effects on your speech. Positive changes can occur if you are having motor difficulties with speech - impaired tongue movements or movements with your mouth. We can break down the negative effects into two main buckets.
People having a hard time with forming sentences and word findings.
Changes in the volume and clarity of speech.
Subthalamic nucleus (SN) is thought to have a greater positive effect on motor symptoms, but unfortunately has a higher risk of speech impairments. Specifically, word finding and forming sentences (verbal fluency) are worse. People with DBS at the SN are at risk of a 30% reduction in verbal fluency.
Globus pallidus internus (GPI) is thought to have less of an impact on your ability to speak clearly. Some people can still experience dysarthria, or the condition where speech sounds like you have marbles in your mouth, but it does not appear to be as common at the SN.
The higher the voltage settings and the more aggressive stimulation can increase the likelihood of speech disturbances. Additionally, studies that have been conducted examining long term impacts suggest that speech decline can progress over time. This can occur in patients who initially had good outcomes.
How to minimize risk
Build a team of health care providers that you trust. Having confidence in your medical team is so important for outcomes of your care.
Communicate with your team. Make sure any and all concerns/questions are raised. Having a full understanding in your options and possible outcomes will help you make the best decision for you.
Emphasize the experience of your programmer. Your surgeon should be very skilled, but they might not be the same person as who is programming your DBS. Make sure you feel equally confident in both.
See a speech language pathologist prior to surgery. Getting a baseline assessment to track for any changes in the future should not be overlooked. Your therapist can also have you exercises to work on to help reduce the risk of any future speech impairments.
Consider seeing your speech language pathologist yearly or biannually, just like your neurologist. This will allow your speech therapist to screen for any changes and update any exercise programs you are doing to address speech changes.
Source
- Jud Eson
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
Many people with PD report fatigue as a symptom. It might be counter intuitive, but exercise can actually help with fatigue. Let's get into it.
Some people may report feeling like their limbs are heavier or that they are a wet rag. Some days you may feel ready to tackle the world, other days you may feel like you've been tackled a million times. Fatigue can accompany bradykinesia, or slowness of movement. I hear from lots of people that people are concerned about exercising because they don't want to make their fatigue worse. They feel like they need to rest and take it easy. Continuing to rest will lead to more fatigue down the road. Exercise may cause an increase in fatigue in the short term, but long term you will be happy you didn't default to resting.
Why does exercise reduce fatigue?
Sleep
Poor sleep is a huge contributor to fatigue. The more regularly we exercise, the more regular our sleep cycle is. Exercise helps promote deep sleep and helps us fall sleep more quickly.
Cortisol
Exercise helps reduce our cortisol levels, which has a serious impact on our physical and mental health. High cortisol levels contributes to poor acute stress regulation, increased pain, impaired immune system, and increased fatigue!
Endorphins
Right after we exercise we experience an endorphin boost. This makes us feel more awake, energized, and overall more positive.
Improved endurance and strength
Overtime, exercise improves our endurance and strength. If our physical capacity is low, meaning we do not have the strength or endurance reserve to do the things we want to and still have energy left over, we will always be fatigued. If our physical capacity is higher, fatigue will be lower.
Which exercise is the best?
While my bias as a physical therapy is towards strength training and high intensity interval training, the best exercise is the exercise you will stick with!
Options can include
Aerobic exercise. Bike, swim, walk, run, row, the list goes on. Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week.
Strength training. Aim for at least 2 days of resistance training a week. See a physical therapist if you are unsure how to start a strength training program.
Yoga. Yoga can help improve balance and your core strength.
Sporting activities. Pickleball, softball, basketball, any sport that gets you moving!
Dance. Dance can improve endurance, coordination, and balance.
Start low and slow, then build
Avoid the boom and bust cycle. Starting slow with just a few minutes of exercise and slowly building will lead to better compliance and reduce your risk of injuries. It is important to note that at first you may not experience big changes, but if you stick with it and increase the intensity, you will see positive changes!
Set weekly to monthly goals to help keep you on track. Include family and friends to help keep you accountable and to make it more fun.
Always speak with your doctor before starting exercise. Contact your physical therapist if you need help structuring a program.
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