What to Do After a Parkinson’s Diagnosis?

Getting any serious medical diagnosis can be frightening and intimidating. You might be unsure of what to do next or how to manage your condition. When it comes to Parkinson’s disease, the future can be even more uncertain since it’s a progressive neurodegenerative condition. It’s important to make a plan for how you’ll proceed after receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis. You aren’t alone on your journey. Here are some steps you can take after your doctor tells you that you have Parkinson’s disease. 

Understanding Your Diagnosis 

Before you make an action plan, you should fully understand your Parkinson’s diagnosis. It’s important to know how this disease can affect your physical, mental, and social health in the future. 

Parkinson’s Symptoms 

Every person with Parkinson’s experiences the disease slightly differently. However, there are some common symptoms to watch out for as the disease progresses. 

Common Parkinson’s symptoms include:

• Muscle tremors
• Insomnia
• Muscle stiffness
• Slow movements
• “Shuffle walk”
• Hunched or stooped posture
• Small handwriting
• Sudden soft or low speech
• Mood swings
• Sudden weight loss 
• Decreased appetite
• Poor balance and coordination
• Dizziness and fainting

These are just a few of the warning signs and symptoms that Parkinson’s is progressing. Often, motor symptoms are the giveaway that someone has Parkinson’s over other diseases. It’s important to get an official diagnosis from a physician before seeking treatment. 

What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is the degeneration of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control voluntary movements, and without enough of it, your movements become uncoordinated or involuntary. 

Researchers don’t yet know the exact cause of Parkinson’s. The disease may have genetic components, but it seems to appear in combination with environmental triggers. 

Certain risk factors make it more likely for someone to develop Parkinson’s. These factors include being male or over the age of 60. However, these risk factors aren’t guarantees that someone will develop this disease. 

Is There a Cure?

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Since it’s a neurodegenerative condition, the neurons that produce dopamine will continue to die off over time. However, modern innovative treatments like stem cell therapy may slow the progression of your symptoms to improve your quality of life. 

You can also make lifestyle changes to mitigate some of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s. Exercise and a healthy diet can keep you in good physical and mental shape, giving you a better ability to fight this disease. 

Start Tracking Your Symptoms 

After you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you should start tracking your symptoms. Whether you use an app or a paper journal, it’s important to notice trends and patterns in your symptom development. These records will also help your doctor or Parkinson’s specialist come up with the best treatment plan for you. 

You can break your symptoms down by category — movement, cognition, speech and swallowing, and other common groups of Parkinson’s symptoms. Then, record the date and severity of each symptom, noting any concerning developments along the way. 

It may give you a greater sense of control and autonomy to keep track of what’s happening in your body as the disease progresses. 

Piece Together a Treatment Team

Your doctor or Parkinson’s specialist may already have a treatment team for you, but if not, consider taking the steps to make your own. This may mean visiting different offices, seeking alternative therapies, and communicating with other Parkinson’s providers. 

The more professionals you have on your side, the more robust and effective your treatments can be. Encourage your treatment team to communicate via medical charting or telephone so everyone can be on the same page. Always report any changes to your treatments to your primary care doctor or Parkinson’s specialist. 

Get Plenty of Exercise and Gentle Movement 

One of the best ways to slow the progression of Parkinson’s and retain your motor skills is to exercise. Whether you choose low-intensity activities, like walking or gentle stretches, know that you’re making healthy choices for your body. 

The more your brain and body connect to produce voluntary movements, the stronger those connections become, which may help delay the onset of more severe movement symptoms. If you’ve never been physically active, now is the time to start. 

There are low-impact exercises that don’t put stress and pressure on your joints. These include swimming, cycling, yoga and stretching, and elliptical workouts. Don’t feel like you have to push yourself to the max — any movement at all is healthy for you. 

Improve Your Nutrition 

The foods you eat play a large role in how you feel. If your diet is full of processed and refined foods, you may experience inflammation, fatigue, and other symptoms. 

Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can keep you in good shape. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which are natural substances that fight aging and tissue damage. 

If your goal is to slow the progression of Parkinson’s, incorporating more of these whole foods into your diet can’t hurt. See a registered dietician if you need help curating a healthy, well-rounded diet after a Parkinson’s diagnosis. 

Evaluate and Try Different Treatments 

Parkinson’s has no cure, but there are interventions and medical therapies that may help with your symptoms. From prescribed medications to holistic therapies to regenerative medicine, your options are plentiful. 

Regenerative medicine, in particular, may offer surprising positive results for your Parkinson’s symptoms. Interventions like stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s may help reverse some of the cellular damage caused by this disease. These treatments get to the root cause of your symptoms and have the potential to improve your quality of life. 

Physical therapy and speech therapy can be helpful for many Parkinson’s patients. These interventions help you regain motor control and improve your speech once the disease has started to interfere with these functions. 

Staying Hopeful After a Parkinson’s Diagnosis

It’s important for you to have a strong support system, both medically and socially, to get through Parkinson’s disease. While it can be difficult, staying hopeful and cultivating gratitude can keep your mind in a positive place as you fight these symptoms. Never give up on yourself and your health, even if you’ve been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative condition.