Parkinsons Disease

Overview   
Symptoms   
Treatment   
Products   
Resources

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that affects over 1 million Americans. Certain nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that transmits signals within the brain, become impaired or die. Without dopamine, Parkinsons patients lose the ability to control their movements.

There are four primary symptoms of Parkinsons:

1. Tremors of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face;
2. Rigidity of the arms, legs and body;
3. Difficulty in starting movements, walking and talking;
4. Postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.

The progressive nature of Parkinson's disease means that drugs that might be more effective in the initial stages of the disease stop working after a period of time. Patients need to take drug holidays and also change their medications in order to maintain their control of movements.

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Stages of Parkinsons

Early Stage

Parkinsons is hard to diagnose during its onset. Patients have varying symptoms and hand tremors or muscle rigidity alone is not enough to conclusively label as Parkinsons without further observation. At this stage, medications such as levodopa help maintain normal mobility because the brain is still able to convert it to dopamine.

Intermediate Stage

Other symptoms begin to develop such as a shuffling gait, a stooped posture, a mask-like face with decreased blinking, difficulty in writing, problems speaking, difficulty in swallowing, constipation and inability to sleep normally. Medications become less effective as less levodopa is converted to dopamine in the brain.

Advanced Stage

The Parkinsons patients more visibly demonstrate the diseases symptoms, such as drooling, shuffling, loss of concentration and memory (even dementia), and depression. Their brains can no longer process levodopa to produce dopamine, and the affects of regular medications are not always predictable.

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Parkinsons Treatment

The drug levodopa has been the standard treatment for Parkinson's disease for years. However, levodopa alone does not impede the progressive process of Parkinsons or prevent the patients brains eventual failure to produce dopamine. No cure is currently available, although different combinations of medications appear to help some patients maintain their movement control more than others. Surgery has also been used as one avenue of treatment for some patients.

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Parkinsons Products

Parkinsons patients have varying needs for medical products and supplies in relation to their symptoms of the disease. Here are a few appropriate product categories that correlate with the progressive nature of the disease:

Aids for Daily Living are helpful to help the patient remain independent and still function normally, such as when eating or dressing. These include:

• Reachers, Dressing Aids, Velcro Buttons, and Zipper Pullers
• Door Openers, Lamp Switches and Key Turners
• Pill Dispensers, Pill Cutters and Crushers, and Eye Droppers
• Long Handled Combs, Brushes and Bathing Tools
• Silverware, Plates, and Kitchen Aids to help open jar, containers and boxes.

Physical Therapy products help to maintain muscle tone and control to offset the debilitating nature of the disease. These include:

• Hand Putty
• Exercise Balls
• Hand Weights
• Peddler Exercisers
• Exercycles

Mobility products such as canes and walkers become necessary as the patients gait becomes more unstable. These include:

• Canes are used by people who are independent enough to use a one-handed walking aid. They have fairly good balance and just need the added stability and support that a cane provides. Canes are used in the hand that is on the opposite side of the body that is weaker or injured. They are available in numerous sizes, handles and styles. Aside from the traditional umbrella handle, ergonomic and orthopedic grip handles are now available. Wood canes are sized by cutting with a saw. Aluminum canes are adjusted by using a spring button.
• Quad Canes have a base with four points of contact on the floor to provide extra stability and support for people when walking. They are available with a small or large base and their size is selected according to the amount of support needed by the person.
• Forearm Crutches are used by people who have long-term or permanent mobility problems. The cuffs on the top of the crutches wrap around the forearms while the orthopedic handles are gripped below. The height is adjustable at the base with a spring button, and they are available in adult and child sizes.
• Walkers help people remain mobile by providing stability and support while walking. They transfer most of the weight and work from the users legs and feet to their arms and hands. Walkers are available in rigid and folding models, plus a variety of accessories are available such as wheels, baskets, pouches, backpacks, glide brakes, seats, trays and glass holders.
• Rollators are walkers with wheels and brakes to eliminate having to lift the walker to walk. They feature small or large wheels for indoor and outdoor use, respectively. Brakes offer extra security when going down inclines. The walkers fold for transport and many have seats so users can sit and rest when they get tired.

The U-Step Walking Stabilizer is specifically designed to assist Parkinsons patients with their mobility.  View and learn more about it under the "New Products" section. 

• Manual Wheelchairs are no longer one size fits all and are available in a variety of styles and sizes. The standard basic wheelchair folds easily for transport, has locking wheels, detachable foot rests that swing-away for transferring, footplates, elevating leg rests and arm rests that are either permanent full length or removable desk length. Optional features include reclining backs, adjustable seat length, hemi or low seat frames, articulating footrests, solid tires and anti-tipping devices.
• Transport or Companion Wheelchairs are popular with caregivers because they have four small wheels for convenience when transporting the chair in a car or other form of transportation. They are available in very lightweight models and are designed to be pushed by the caregiver.
• Lightweight Wheelchairs are also popular with end-users as they weigh so much less than standard chairs and are easier to self-propel. They are preferred for outdoor usage and wheelchair sports.
• Power Wheelchairs are motorized wheelchairs that are controlled by either a joy stick or a puff mechanism. These are primarily used by quadriplegics or people with medical conditions who are extremely weak and cannot push themselves in a manual wheelchair.
• Scooters or Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) provide motorized transportation for individuals who either need or prefer power mobility. Scooters can be used indoors and outdoors and are available in both front-wheel and rear-wheel drive models. They also come in lightweight models that break down into smaller parts for easier transport.

Bath Safety Products help to maintain stability and compensate for loss of strength when toileting and bathing. These include:

• Bedpans and Urinals are available for patients who are unable to get up from bed to use a bedside commode or the bathroom.
• Elevated Toilet Seats enable patients who have difficultly in standing to remain independent in the bathroom.
• Bedside Commodes are stand-alone toilet seats with a removable pail for people who are unable to walk to the bathroom. They can also be easily converted to a raised toilet seat to be used directly over the toilet.
• Bath Chairs, Transfer Benches and Handheld Showers make getting into and out of the bathtub easier, safer and more convenient.
• Grab Bars provide stability when standing after sitting on the toilet or when entering and exiting the bath or shower.
• Personal Care items includes sitz baths, lubricant jelly and gloves.
• Accessories include washcloths, shampoo sets, air fresheners, powders and ointments.

Incontinence Products become necessary as the patient loses control of urine and/or bowels as they develop difficulty in controlling their muscles. These include:

Disposables

• Pads and Shields are for small loss of urine when laughing, coughing, sneezing, straining or pregnant. Usually this light incontinence is only a daytime problem.
• Guards are for temporary or long-term loss of bladder control after surgery, or when someone is unable to prevent urine leakage after feeling a strong urge to urinate. Leakage often occurs on the way to the bathroom.
• Undergarments are for frequent leakage usually of small amounts of urine, or for moderate loss of urine when laughing, coughing, sneezing or straining. Often this moderate incontinence is only a daytime problem.
• Briefs are for heavy or continuous urine leakage or heavy leakage at night or when lying down.

Reusable Systems

• Undergarments and Briefs are washable protective underwear that are made to use with liners and pads or by themselves.
• Liners and Pads fit into the above washable undergarments and are either reusable/washable for light incontinence or disposable for moderate to heavy incontinence.

Urologicals

• Catheters are available for permanent loss of urine control. They are available as either external or internal devices.
• Urine Collection Devices include leg bags and overnight bags that hang from the bed.

Related Incontinence Products

• Underpads are flat pads filled with absorbent materials and covered with waterproof backing. They are designed to protect bedding and furniture. Available in disposable and reusable options, various sizes and different absorbencies.
• Skin Care is a concern for people with incontinence because they are prone to skin breakdown, especially when continuous washing with regular alkaline soap dries out the skin. Skin care products protect, soothe and replenish the skin. Antibacterial and anti-fungal products eliminate germs, yeast, bacteria and fungi.
  • Cleansers cleanse and remove urine and fecal material. They are available in no-rinse and deodorizing formulas.
  • Barriers and Skin Protectants protect skin from further exposure and irritation by creating moisture and antimicrobial, antifungal barriers on affected areas.
  • Moisturizers and Creams replenish moisture to skin that is dried out or irritated by incontinence.
  • Deodorizers eliminate odor as well as deodorize.
  • Rinseless Shampoos, foot cleansers and shaving gels are also available.
• Accessories include washcloths, air fresheners, powders and ointments.
• Homecare Bedroom set-ups provide all of the products available that help to improve their daily quality of life when the patient can no longer get in and out of bed easily. These include:
  • Hospital Beds in semi-electric or full electric versions allow the patient to separately raise or lower the head and feet and are often outfitted with bedrails to prevent accidental falls.
  • Bed Accessories include egg crate mattresses, low air loss and gel mattresses to help prevent and reduce bedsores for patients who spend a great amount of time in their beds.
  • Over-Bed Tables are similar to those used in the hospital for eating and reading in bed. They are available in flat or tilting models which aid in reading.
  • Bedside Commodes are stand-alone toilet seats with a removable pail for people who are unable to walk to the bathroom. They can also be easily converted to a raised toilet seat to be used directly over the toilet.
  • Patient Lifts and Slings assist in transferring patients from their beds to a wheelchair, bedside commode or bedside chairs. They are available in manual and fully electric models and accommodate all weight capacities.
  • Trapeze Bars hang over a patients bed and assist them in lifting themselves to a sitting position or to change positions in bed.
  • Lift Chairs come in numerous styles, fabric grades and colors and assist patients with difficulty getting up from a chair but activating an electric chair that causes the chair to raise the patient to a standing position. All lift chairs also partially or fully recline with an elevated leg rest.
  • Safety Polls and Rails offer stability when rising or sitting as well as from accidental falls in the bed or bathroom.

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Parkinson Resources

American Parkinson Disease Association
800 223-2732
www.apdaparkinson.org

National Parkinson Foundation
800 327-4545
www.Parkinson.org


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