April 3, 2024
Welcome to The Climb, your weekly journey with Lifecycle Sherpa, where we explore Parkinson’s Disease, its symptoms, treatments, tips, techniques, and build a supportive and knowledgeable community.
This week’s trail leads us to…uncontrolled movements (dyskinesia).
Question: What is dyskinesia? Why does it happen?! How can I manage it!?
Answer: Dyskinesia is a MOTOR SYMPTOM. Involuntary, erratic and writhing movements of the face, arms, legs or trunk. They can be fluid movements (more dance-like, quick jerking movements, or slow and extended muscle spasms. This can also manifest as toe curling when walking.
Please note: This happens solely as a side effect of Parkinson’s medications and should be addressed with your doctor. This is not a “symptom” of the actual disease.
Tips on Management: Here are THREE
1) If you are having difficulty with this symptom, the most important thing to do is to speak with your doctor about the dosages of medications.
2) Put weight through the extremities to control the erratic movements, just as we addressed with the tremors newsletter. For those of you who missed that one: Weight bearing into arms and legs. When you feel the tremor starting up, push into that extremity (For example, if you are writing, push the heel of your hand into the table. If your leg is shaking when you are sitting, sit forward and push down into the floor.)
3) SLOW DOWN! When you are dyskinetic, it is extra difficult to control your movements. Slow down, take each movement at a time, and DO NOT rush. It almost always ends with a loss of balance.
For more guidance, get a referral to see a physical or occupational therapist to address your specific symptoms. It is always a good idea to learn strategies before the symptoms evolve in order to best fight them off.
We always encourage feedback, as it helps us enhance our community. Feel free to reach out regarding future topics you want to learn about, or how we can improve your experience.
See you next week!