Parkinson’s is a slowly progressive disorder that is life altering, but not life-threatening.
“Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease does not mean the end of life,” said Shantanu Patel, (name changed) a former state-level athlete who was diagnosed with the disorder three years ago. Patel practices yoga, goes swimming daily and even drives a car.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system which affects a person’s speech and movement. Parkinson’s is a slowly progressive disorder that is life altering, but not life-threatening.
The Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorder Society (PMDS) has 450 members across Mumbai. The support group holds meetings in Borivli, Khar, Dadar and South Mumbai, where patients and their caregivers meet experts including physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nutritionists who advice them on the best ways to keep the disorder under control.
“PMDS, founded in 2002, aims at spreading awareness about the ailment and improving the quality of life of patients,” said Maria Barretto, co-ordinator, PMDS.
At the meetings, the patients are educated on taking a multidisciplinary approach to Parkinson’s. The focus right now is too much on medical treatment alone, said Barretto.
“I think a support group is very important as it helps raise the level of self confidence, relieves stress and gets the patients to believe that they are not alone,” explained Baretto.
On the medical front, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a new technique that offers hope to patients suffering from the disease, said neurologists. “It is a procedure that uses a surgically-implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator — similar to a heart pacemaker and approximately the size of a stopwatch. It delivers electrical stimulation to the areas in the brain that control movement, blocking the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and symptoms of PD,” explained Paresh Doshi, head of the functional neurological center at Jaslok Hospital.
Statistics: Parkinson’s is globally distributed, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 6.3 million people. More than 1 in 10 people with Parkinson’s are diagnosed before the age of 50 years.
Contact: Telephone 9967774944
Website: www.parkinsonssocietyindia.com
email: pdmds.india@gmail.com
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