Since April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, we took some time to learn from local expert, Maggie Abbott, PT, DPT and Director of Outreach at the Houston Area Parkinson Society (HAPS), about Parkinson’s disease and the amazing work she does at HAPS. Dr. Abbott not only has a wealth of knowledge about Parkinson’s, but also leads exercise and fall prevention classes—check out HAPS's amazing program schedule to find a class or support group that works for you.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, nearly 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year. There certainly are many reasons Parkinson’s deserves its own awareness month because it can be difficult or time-consuming to diagnose as it is a progressive disease with a wide array of symptoms. Let’s hear some of Dr. Abbott’s insights about Parkinson’s disease:
I know Parkinson’s is a complex and evolving diagnosis, but give us a brief overview –
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, more specifically a movement disorder, that affects the cells of the brain that produce dopamine which controls muscle movement and gets worse over time. Dopamine is important because it is the chemical messenger used to send signals from the brain to the muscles to complete smooth, coordinated movements.
Image from OHSU Brain Institute
Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. Symptoms can include slowness of movement, stiffness, tremors, posture changes, loss of balance, and other motor and non-motor issues like anxiety and depression.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s at this time, but people can manage symptoms over decades with a variety of treatments including medicine, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, surgery, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and more.
What’s your favorite part about your work with Houston Area Parkinson Society?
Houston Area Parkinson Society (HAPS) is the only independent local non-profit providing comprehensive services to those affected by Parkinson’s in the eight-county area. We are celebrating 50 years of serving our community to help people live life to the fullest from point of diagnosis and beyond.
My name is Maggie Abbott, and I have a background as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I have been working with HAPS as an exercise instructor, doing community outreach, lecturing, and working with university partners and students for 8 years. My favorite part of working with HAPS is working with the people who make up the community.
What’s the biggest challenge that people with Parkinson’s disease face?
This will vary from person to person, but access and consistent healthcare is a huge challenge for people with Parkinson’s. It can take such a long time for someone to get to their diagnosis of Parkinson’s in the first place, often over many years.
Many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s can mimic ‘old age’ or present as non-motor issues like constipation. People who have had Parkinson’s and manage it with medication are typically on a strict medication schedule. If they are ever in the hospital, it can be extremely difficult to get those medications on their typical schedule, and Parkinson’s symptoms will become very bothersome.
This change in medication timing can worsen overall movement, increase stiffness, and make recovery from any other medical issue more challenging. Oftentimes, the lack of other healthcare provider’s knowledge of Parkinson’s causes those with Parkinson’s to have a more difficult time when they are sick and in need of the best possible care.
How can people support their loved ones with Parkinson’s or even simply make the world more accessible to people with Parkinson’s disease?
Everyone’s journey will look different, and everyone’s level of support will change over time. Asking your friend or partner what they need and keeping that conversation open is an important part of journeying alongside that person who has a disease like Parkinson’s, which changes over time.
Symptoms change and fluctuate from day to day. Learning more about the disease and learning more about available resources like what HAPS has to offer can help make you know what to expect or make you feel less alone.
Do you have a major success story or special moment from working at Houston Area Parkinson Society?
There are too many stories to count, and so many special moments. I feel very proud and thankful for my contributions when I teach group exercise classes or movement labs and we work on building strength through functional tasks. For example, when I teach people how to get off the floor and someone who starts saying ‘I could never do that’ ends up showing someone else how to do it in three easy steps. Or when showing someone where to put their hands and feet to pick up the remote control off the floor. Or even how to get out of bed. Little things like these, in fact, make a huge difference in everyday life.
Seeing you present on the great work that HAPS does, I was surprised to hear that tremors aren’t always present at the time of diagnosis and might not ever be present-- What’s something you wish more people knew about Parkinson’s disease?
If you have met one person with Parkinson’s, then you have met ONE person with Parkinson’s. Every person is different in how they experience symptoms, how they are affected by medication, how they are coping with their diagnosis, and how they are doing on that particular day. Not sure? Ask how you can support them.
How can others support the amazing work that you do at Houston Area Parkinson Society?
Visit haps.org to donate and learn more about what we do to ensure no one has to face a Parkinson’s diagnosis alone.
Houston Area Parkinson Society is celebrating 50 years of service to the greater Houston community, providing exercise classes and lectures to multiple counties. The amount of education and support they are able to provide is astounding. To support HAPS’s efforts, follow them on Facebook or Instagram, sign up for the HAPS newsletter, learn more about Parkinson’s disease, or donate to their organization.
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