Health
A new Parkinson’s Disease support group begins meetings next Tuesday.
“I can tell you there are a lot of people in Sulphur Springs with Parkinson’s disease,” said Karon Weatherman, program and marketing director of the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizen’s Center. “We hope everyone afflicted with this disease will join us to learn how to cope. We’ll have a different speaker each month, along with physical and speech therapists. Therapy and exercise are very important in dealing with Parkinson’s.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. There is no known cause. Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement.
The four main symptoms doctors look for when making a Parkinson’s diagnosis are tremors, rigidity in the wrist and elbow joints, lack or slowness of movement, and an unstable posture.
It is estimated that as many as one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease, and approximately 60,000 are diagnosed with the disease each year. Men are more widely affected than women.
The average age for a person to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease is 56, but early or young onset Parkinson’s can strike. Actor Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease at age 31. The youngest recorded diagnosis was in a 12-year-old patient.
Any Hopkins County or area doctor interested in speaking at a future meeting is asked to contact Karon Weatherman at 903-885-1661 or meal aday@yahoo.com.
The Parkinson’s support group will meet on the third Tuesday of each month 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., beginning Aug. 20 at Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center, 150 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Refreshments will be served. Both patients and caregivers are encouraged to attend.