The Value of an Integrated Team: Addressing a Holistic Disease
Living with Parkinson’s is a journey that spans many aspects of life, impacting everything from movement to communication and emotional well-being. In our previous article (TS6), we explored practical strategies for daily life and fall prevention. Today, we delve into the cornerstone of comprehensive management: the power of a multidisciplinary team and how each specialist contributes to sustaining your autonomy and quality of life. It’s not just about medication; it’s about a complete strategy that empowers you.
Parkinson’s is a complex disease requiring a holistic approach. No single healthcare professional can cover everything. That’s why the support of a coordinated team of specialists is crucial. This approach allows challenges to be addressed from multiple angles, creating a personalized treatment plan that evolves with you. Combining pharmacological treatments with non-pharmacological therapies is key to managing a disease that “touches many aspects” of your life.
A Common Challenge: Exhaustion from So Many Therapies
We know that, in addition to visits to the general practitioner and neurologist, patients with Parkinson’s often find themselves immersed in a myriad of therapies. It’s understandable that this heavy schedule of appointments can lead to exhaustion, frustration, and, at times, abandonment of therapies. This often happens because patients don’t always see the integration among them or don’t understand the long-term goal.
It’s essential for the patient to be able to create a “conceptual map” of where they stand at that moment in the disease progression. Understanding that, throughout Parkinson’s progression, some practices or therapies will be more relevant or prioritized at certain times. Sometimes, the main goal of a therapy is to preserve a function and prevent its deterioration, rather than achieving a visible “improvement.” This can lead to the false belief that the therapy “isn’t working.” However, clinical experience shows us that, unfortunately, after abandoning therapy for a while, many patients return with a more severe condition, demonstrating the importance of consistency.
Kinesiology: Beyond Mobility
Kinesiology (physical therapy) is a fundamental pillar. Its goals go beyond simply maintaining movement; they focus on:
- Maintaining Strength and Balance: Through specific exercises, kinesiology helps counteract muscle weakness, improve posture, and strengthen essential muscles for stability.
- Reducing Rigidity: Stretching and mobility exercises help combat rigidity, facilitating broader and more fluid movements.
- Preventing Falls: By improving balance, coordination, and reflexes, the kinesiologist helps you develop strategies to move more safely and react effectively to a stumble.
- Adapting Movements: A good kinesiologist will teach you how to adapt your daily movements and routines to perform them more efficiently and safely, optimizing every step.
Speech-Language Pathology in Parkinson’s: Sustaining Key Functions
From speech-language pathology, we work on many aspects to prolong functions as important as speech and swallowing, addressing challenges from cognitive to functional areas. Our intervention covers health promotion, prevention of complications, and rehabilitation.
Optimizing Speech and Voice: Parkinson’s can affect speech clarity and voice volume. Speech-language pathologists work on:
- Articulation exercises to improve speech precision.
- Voice projection techniques to make your voice stronger and more audible.
- Strategies to improve intonation and fluency.
Safe Swallowing: Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) is a significant risk, as it can lead to choking or aspiration pneumonia (as we mentioned in the previous article). The speech-language pathologist will teach you:
- Safety maneuvers for safer swallowing.
- Diet modifications: suggestions on food and liquid textures to facilitate swallowing.
The Mirror Challenge: We encourage you to perform orofacial exercises in front of a mirror. This not only allows you to see and correct your movements but also fosters greater awareness and commitment to your therapy. It’s a challenge that, with perseverance, helps to sustain autonomy over time in your communication and your ability to eat safely.
It’s important to remember that these are just some of the aspects we work on in speech-language pathology, always aiming to prolong and maintain the functionality of these vital skills
Other Essential Therapies in the Multidisciplinary Team
Psychomotor Therapy: This discipline is key to working on the relationship between movement and the mind. It has a significant incidence from an emotional aspect that projects into the corporal. It helps improve coordination, balance, spatial orientation, and body awareness—fundamental elements for autonomy and fall prevention, recognizing that emotions and psychological well-being directly influence how we move and relate to our bodies.
Psychopedagogy: This can be of great help in addressing potential cognitive challenges that arise with Parkinson’s, such as difficulties with planning, memory, or attention. Psychopedagogy offers strategies and tools to maintain mental agility and learning capacity.
Occupational Therapy: Focuses on adapting the environment and daily tasks so that the patient can perform their everyday activities (dressing, eating, bathing) with the greatest possible independence, using assistive devices if necessary.
Nutrition for Strength and Life
Food is more than just satisfying hunger; it’s your fuel and your medicine. Working hand-in-hand with a nutritionist is fundamental to:
- Maintaining Body Mass: Parkinson’s can affect appetite, swallowing, and metabolism. A nutritionist will help you ensure you consume the necessary caloric and protein requirements to maintain your muscle mass and prevent malnutrition.
- Optimal Nutritional Support: Managing the interaction between food and medication (like levodopa), addressing constipation, and ensuring adequate nutrient intake that supports brain and overall health. Proper nutrition is the vital support to sustain your health and quality of life for as long as possible.
Psychological Support: The Emotional Pillar
Parkinson’s doesn’t just affect the body; it also impacts emotions. Frustration, anxiety, and depression are common. Psychological support is a crucial component to:
- Manage the emotional impact of diagnosis and disease progression.
- Develop coping strategies and adapt to changes.
- Maintain motivation and resilience.
- Improve overall quality of life and mental well-being.
Let Parkinson’s Not Be the Protagonist! Active Life and Personal Projects
Remember this central message: Parkinson’s is a part of your life, but it should not be the protagonist. It’s essential to maintain a proactive mindset and continue seeking purpose.
- Have Projects: Set goals, big or small. These can be hobbies, learning something new, or planning social activities.
- Adapt Activities: Recognize that some activities may not be possible as before, but this opens the door to discovering new ones. Explore painting, music, adaptive gardening, reading, or volunteer activities. Adaptation is key.
- Support Makes a Difference: Don’t be afraid to seek support from caregivers, family, and support groups. Sharing experiences and learning from others is invaluable.
Living with Parkinson’s is a challenge, but with a dedicated multidisciplinary team and a proactive approach, you can optimize your well-being, sustain your autonomy, and continue to enjoy a full and meaningful life.