Words by Cheyanne Bryan
Today marks World Parkinson’s Day - a day to raise awareness of the condition and its impact on people’s everyday lives. Despite about 153,000 people in the UK living with Parkinson's, many of us know little about the condition.
In this article, were going to give you a quick rundown on what you need to know about the disease.
Also known as Parkinson’s Disease or PD, Parkinson’s is a neurological condition that makes parts of the brain become progressively damaged over time. As the condition affects the central nervous system, this can also impact motor skills. Cure Parkinson’s states that it is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and many people don’t know that 'Parkinson's' covers several separate conditions with similar symptoms.
Currently, the cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, but a lot of research is ongoing to find out.
While everyone’s experience with Parkinson’s is different and there are over 40 symptoms, the most common symptoms include tremors, stiffness, problems with sleeping, pain and slowness of movement.
As Parkinson’s is a condition that changes and progresses, symptoms can also change alongside it.
Luckily, a lot of research has gone into looking to find cures or treatments to ease the effects of Parkinson’s. Charco Neurotech, a startup based in Cambridge has created a non-invasive, wearable vibration device to specifically help Parkinson’s patients move more easily.
On their website it says: “The CUE1 utilises pulsed cueing and high-frequency focused vibrotactile stimulation to alleviate symptoms including slowness, stiffness, rigidity, freezing of gait, and more. This results in improved quality of life for you.”
This is just one example of the innovative technology that is out there to assist and help people with Parkinson’s.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Parkinson’s UK Fashion. This is a charity supporting those with Parkinson’s and funding the right research into the most breakthrough treatments. Learn more here.
Parkinson’s Care and support UK (PCSUK). This is a UK charity that focuses on improving the lives of those affected by Parkinson’s. Find out more here.
Parkinson’s Foundation. This is a non-profit which is working to improve the care of people with Parkinson’s disease and accelerating research towards a cure. Support them here.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing.
