It is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that progressively affects the nervous system.
It originates when the neurons responsible for producing dopamine (a hormone that acts on movement) decrease their function, giving rise to disorders in brain activity, which causes loss of movement, tremors, and postural imbalances.
According to the estimates of the (FEP) in our country there are more than 160,000 people who suffer from this disease, of which 30% are still undiagnosed.
And although anyone can be affected by this pathology, Parkinson’s affects, above all, the older population.
As can be seen in the data from the official guidelines for clinical recommendations in Parkinson’s disease of the , the prevalence is approximately 0.3% in the general population, reaching 2% in people over 60 years of age and exceeding 4% in people over 80.
This determines an incidence of between 8 and 18 people diagnosed per year per 100,000 inhabitants.
5 Beneficial Activities for Parkinson’s Patients
“He currently has no cure and can affect each person differently. In this sense, it is essential that each case is studied in a specialized way and that an exclusive therapy is carried out that manages to reduce the possible consequences as much as possible”, he explains. david shortMedical Director, Quality and Innovation of .
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“It is advisable to carry out a follow-up to see the evolution of the disease and implement a series of exercises that serve as a complement to the pharmacological treatment.”
Among the exercises and activities that can be very beneficial for these patients and that are also easy to do at home, the Sanitas Mayores experts highlight:
- link concepts. It consists of joining different words that are related to each other. If you want to work on visual memory, you can do the same activity, but using images. In any case, both allow memory and intellect to work and encourage the use of language.
- Letter soup. This classic in the world of hobbies is a great formula for Parkinson’s patients to reduce inattention. If the activity is also about a specific topic, sustained and selective attention is also worked on.
- Music therapy. It is an alternative technique that is based on the use of music to treat different types of ailments. It is interesting for Parkinson’s patients because, thanks to the rhythm of the songs, both auditory and movement and concentration stimuli are acquired.
- intertwined. Based on a geometric figure, it is about moving all the vertices so that none of them intersects. It is a very practical exercise because it allows training spatial visualization and organization.
- Coordination exercises such as throwing a ball. It consists of throwing a tennis or ping pong ball against a wall to later pick it up once it hits the ground. This exercise manages to mitigate the sensation of tremor and activates coordination.