Setting the Standard for Comprehensive, Compassionate Brain, Spine and Pain Care
These are some resources that we feel will be helpful for those having various Neurological disorders:
- American Parkinson Disease Association Information and Referral Center
- Headache Support Group
- Think First
Just mention the name, Michael J. Fox, and immediately
one thinks of a popular, young actor. It wasn't until late 1998 that
the actor disclosed he had been living with Parkinson's disease for
several years. Because Fox, Janet Reno and Muhammad Ali have heightened
awareness about Parkinson's, many people are turning to the American
Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) with questions about the disease.
•Parkinson's Disease Stages
A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is made when a person shows at least two of the primary symptoms of the disease which include rigidity, tremor, slow movement (bradykinesia), or loss of movement (akinesia), and difficulties with balance and walking.
One of the tools used for determining how severe the symptoms are is the Hoehn and Yahr scale, which classifies cases of PD into the following five stages:
Stage I: Symptoms are found only on one side of the body.
Stage II: Symptoms are found on both sides of the body, and walking and posture are affected.
Stage III: The ability to walk is impaired and there is slowing of body movements.
Stage IV: Symptoms are severe and include marked impairment in walking.
Stage V: Complete immobility.
In addition to these "motor symptoms," many people with Parkinson's disease may have difficulty in speaking (dysarthria) or swallowing (dysphagia). Because of these symptoms, patients and caregivers should be especially alert to signs of choking, food stuck in the throat, or congestion after eating.
This article was in The American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc. Spring 2000 newsletter. It was edited from the "Understanding the Stages of Parkinson's Disease" published in volume I, issue 10, (January 2000) of the Parkinson Update, the Newsletter of the APDA Chapter in Salt Lake City, UT.
The Neuroscience Group of Northeast Wisconsin and The Neuroscience Center at Theda Clark Medical Center, through a partnership with APDA, offers an Information and Referral Center for citizens of Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The center can provide important answers and helpful referrals regarding Parkinson's.
The Information and Referral Center, based in Neenah, is one of 50 centers designated by the APDA nationwide that are available to more than 1.5 million Americans suffering from Parkinson's disease, their families, caregivers and others with concerns about Parkinson's. Nurse coordinator, Kristine Twomey, RN at The Neuroscience Group coordinates services for patients and health care professionals who wish to learn more about the disease.
Dr. Thomas G. Mattio, a neurologist with The Neuroscience Group, is the medical director for the Information and Referral Center. "Effective treatment of Parkinson's disease can vary from patient to patient, and must often be accompanied by specialized rehabilitation and physical therapy designed to help them regain and maintain function," states Mattio. "We feel our Information and Referral service is a benefit to those who suffer from Parkinson's disease by assisting in locating physicians and clinics who can offer them a better quality of life."
Parkinson's disease exists when brain communications involving balance, movement, walking and speech are hindered by damage to brain cells that produce a transmitting chemical called dopamine. Symptoms can be temporarily treated, but the cause and cure of the illness have not yet been found.
The APDA was founded in 1961 to "ease the burden and find the cure" and has financially supported every major breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's disease since its inception. APDA remains the largest grass-roots organization in America dedicated to fighting Parkinson's disease. Each year, the APDA funds millions of dollars of research and patient support services.
Because Parkinson patients often experience difficulty in communicating causing frustration both to the person with the disease and the person attempting to assist them, the APDA has designed a wallet-size card that can aid with communication is an emergent situation. The card states that the person has Parkinson's disease and reads as follows: "I am not under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. It is not contagious, a mental condition, hereditary or fatal - it is a movement disorder. Because of this, I may need extra time to communicate and/or transact business with you. Thank you for your patience."
If you have a friend or relative who could benefit from the Parkinson's Disease Information and Referral Center, give them our number. Cards, literature and referral information are provided free of charge.
Toll-free 1-888-797-2732
www.apdaparkinson.org
info@apdaparkinson.org
At the present time, our support group is undergoing some minor changes to serve you better. Please contact the Neuroscience Group at 920-725-9373 for more information. Please also check back to this website for any updates.
Another valuable resource to utilize is the:
www.headaches.org
The
Neuroscience Group of Northeast Wisconsin presents the "Think First
for Kids" program at area elementary schools to educate children
between the ages of six and eight about prevention of brain and spinal
cord injuries.
Prevention is the goal of the "Think First" program, a unique, award-winning program jointly founded by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The program includes a school curriculum for grades 1-3 and focuses on five key areas: water safety, vehicle safety, bicycle safety, violence, and sports and recreation.
The Fox Valley Chapter of "Think First" is sponsored by Thomas A. Lyons, MD, neurosurgeon with The Neuroscience Group, with the assistance of his nurse practitioner, Tracy Galione, RN, BSN, MBA, who serves as the local chapter coordinator.
Several Fox Valley elementary schools have voluntarily incorporated the "Think First" program into their lesson plans. If you are interested in a "Think First for Kids" program for your school or organization please call Tracy at 920-721-1525, or email tracy.galione@neurosciencegroup.com. This hands-on program supplements the school curriculum and allows students to experience six different disabilities that could result from a brain or spinal cord injury.
Every year in the United States, 2 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries, which means one person is affected every 15 seconds. Additionally, 10,000 to 12,000 spinal cord injuries occur each year. About 40 percent of the total number of brain and spinal cord injuries occur to the "under 15" age group.
Galione introduces "Think First for Kids" by explaining the brain and spinal cord and their functions. A helmet and egg are used to demonstrate how a helmet protects the students‚ heads during an accident.
Students are then told stories of children who are injured in various activities and the type of disability they are left with. Galione then relates hands-on activities with each of the disabilities. Volunteers from The Neuroscience Group and Theda Care assist in the six activities.
Examples of the stories and activities include:
1.
Swallowing Difficulty
You decide to go to a movie with friends. You climb into the
front seat, but you don't put on your seat belt. The roads are slippery
and the driver loses control. Your car flips over and you are thrown
through the window onto the highway. You suffer a brain injury. You
have difficulty swallowing thin liquids. You need to have thickener
placed in your pop before you can drink it. You also cannot speak well.
You know what to say but cannot say it.
2.
Blindness
You decide to go up to your friend's cabin. Your friend's
older brother takes you and your friend on a four-wheeler. You don't
have a helmet. He goes over a bump and you fall off, hitting your head
on a rock. You cannot see at all. You have to go back to school and
walk around with the help of a friend to guide you.
3.
Wheelchair
You decide to go over to your friend's house to play. Your
friend wants to climb a tree in the backyard. You get up higher than
you ever went before and a branch breaks under your feet and you fall
on your back. You cannot move or feel your legs. You now have to get
around in a wheelchair. You try to move around the cones.
4.
Numb Hands
You decide to go sledding with some friends. You thought it
would be fun to build a jump. You go first over the jump and go sailing
into the air. You fall off your sled and land on the back of your neck.
At first, you cannot feel or move your arms and legs. You are brought
to the hospital and eventually you can move your legs and walk. Your
arms and hands begin to move, but you cannot feel well with your hands.
It feels like you have big gloves on. You will try buttoning up shirts,
tie shoes, and write with gloved hands.
5.
Paralyzed Arm
You decide to go ice-skating with friends. You bring hockey
sticks, but do not have protective equipment or helmets. A friend of
yours tries to get a puck away from you and swings and misses and hits
you in the head. You suffer a brain injury. Now you cannot move your
good hand. You try to make your lunch. You have to spread peanut butter
on bread with your opposite hand.
6.
Paralyzed Arm and Leg
You decide to go snowmobiling with a friend's dad. They do
not have an extra helmet for you. You decide to climb on behind your
friend's dad. He turns down a path in the woods when you were not expecting
it, and you fly off the snowmobile into a tree. You suffer a brain injury.
You cannot move the right side of your body. You have to put on sweatpants
with your left arm and leg only.
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