Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) usually presents in older adults and typically has both motor and non-motor dysfunctions. PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting from dopaminergic neuronal cell loss in the mid-brain substantia nigra pars compacta region. Outlined here is an integrative medicine and health strategy that highlights five treatment options for people with Parkinson’s (PwP): rehabilitate, therapy, restorative, maintenance, and surgery. Rehabilitating begins following the diagnosis and throughout any additional treatment processes, especially vis-à-vis consulting with physical, occupational, and/or speech pathology therapist(s). Therapy uses daily administration of either the dopamine precursor levodopa (with carbidopa) or a dopamine agonist, compounds that preserve residual dopamine, and other specific motor/non-motor-related compounds. Restorative uses strenuous aerobic exercise programs that can be neuroprotective. Maintenance uses complementary and alternative medicine substances that potentially support and protect the brain microenvironment. Finally, surgery, including deep brain stimulation, is pursued when PwP fail to respond positively to other treatment options. There is currently no cure for PD. In conclusion, the best strategy for treating PD is to hope to slow disorder progression and strive to achieve stability with neuroprotection. The ultimate goal of any management program is to improve the quality-of-life for a person with Parkinson’s disease.
Highlights
It is estimated that one million people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with approximately 60,000 new cases diagnosed nationally each year [1,2,3,4,5].The global prevalence of PD is believed to be up to 10 million people
It is more likely that people with Parkinson (PwP), with guidance and advice from movement disorder neurologists, would likely use several components found in treatment options A–D that may change as their disorder progresses before possibly moving to option E (Surgery)
Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors may provide relief from symptoms as they help regulate the degradation of dopamine in peripheral tissue, which leads to increased half-life and availability of levodopa in the central nervous system (CNS)
Summary
It is estimated that one million people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with approximately 60,000 new cases diagnosed nationally each year [1,2,3,4,5]. PD occurs most commonly in people aged over 60 years old [5]. In this group, most cases of PD occur sporadically and due to etiologies including neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, dysfunction of the innate and/or adaptive immune systems, mitochondrial activity disruption, genetic mutation, intracellular protein denaturation and aggregation, and environmental factors [1,2,3,4,5]. Treatment goals in PD management center on slowing or halting disease progression [1,14]. This review aims to describe a comprehensive and integrative treatment protocol for PD
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