Parkinson’s and Its Related Diseases: A Disease of ‘Small’. Movement reduces, muscles tighten, face grows less animated, speech is dulled, empathy is reduced, handwriting gets tiny – I could go on. As I walk along the streets, much of the time I remember my Grandma and other adults constantly telling me not to scuff my shoes on the pavement (sorry, that should be ‘sidewalk’ for some)… “Pick Up Your Feet!!!” I am sadly often unable to lift my feet and make a proper movement, therefore I am compelled to shuffle along. She would be appalled to see my walking without context… but it is one of the features of the smaller movements. In this context Big is indeed Beautfiul.
The Importance of Thinking and Acting Big and Bold
Two years ago, I did a 12-week outpatient stint with a Neurology Rehab unit. They continually hammered home the point that the critical thing is to think and act Big and Bold and to keep working the muscles in this principle in all disciplines – physical therapy, occupational therapy (handwriting, etc.), and speech therapy.
It really impacts all areas of life, and the further I progress, sadly, the more I see it. I was asked once by someone why I wasn’t smiling. It was nothing – in that particular instance – to do with my mood; it was to do with my facial muscles. They thought I simply was depressed.
Why Does It Happen?
I am not a scientist, but in Parkinson’s, nerve cells in the brain become damaged and die off over time. These cells are responsible for producing dopamine, a chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) needed for smooth coordination of movement. As the dopamine levels in the brain decrease, problems with balance and movement increase. Why small movement per se – I am not sure I know, but it is the way it tends to play out.
A Simple Exercise That Could Make a Difference
This video may look extreme to you, but to me, it presents one pretty simple exercise which could make a real difference to someone with Parkinson’s or PSP or, to be honest, a whole host of conditions.
Thanks to Cure PSP for sending this video around!!
To change a behavior, you often have to swing the pendulum to the other direction. To counter small and timid, you have to practice big and bold. You may not want to do this video publicly, but it is worth doing… maybe in a padded room with a lock on it 🙂
Building the Skill Early On
Avoiding the small movements is so hard and, in fact, sometimes simply almost impossible as the disease progresses. My advice to anyone early on is to build this skill – I am sure it helps prolong the decline.
After the rehab course, I drew myself a picture to be a screensaver with the words:
- SLOW – Be careful and avoid rushing, especially when walking, climbing stairs, and chewing to avoid falling and choking.
- BIG & BOLD – Make movements Big and Bold – not small and timid.
- BREATHE – For some reason, I always forgot to breathe properly, which is a bit of a problem I didn’t know I had but have worked on in Yoga and training every day and now do much better.
Back to Big Versus Small
Why write this? The simple fact is that I constantly struggle to remember this all the time. If I forget, then I am assuming I am not completely alone. In fact, I am going to re-apply the phone wallpaper or actually make a better one to remind myself. Sadly, it does not come instinctively, and it is so, so hard.
