Me vs PD

A brief summary of the various learning's I've had in my battle with Parkinson's

Notes

  • Eliminate stress
  • Sleep
    • Use a hard mattress (preferably Coir)
    • Keep a cool environment
    • Use a humidifier along with the AC, so that AC does not cause stiffness
  • Build strength
    • Mental
      • Meditate
      • Engage the brain
        • Puzzles, Chess, etc
        • Audiobooks
    • Physical
      • Spend time in nature, especially getting more sun early in the morning
      • Stretch
      • Exercise
        • Be careful to avoid anything which might cause injuries. Injuries will really set you back.
        • Breathing
          • Anulom Vilom
          • Kapalbhati
          • Brahmari
        • Resistance training
          • Train your biceps, triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings
          • Youtube has lots of videos for resistance training, but I would really recommend that you find yourself an experienced personal trainer
        • Yoga
        • Do activities which help to build the muscle-mind connection and engage your entire body – not just one side or one part
          • Tai chi and Boxing engage the entire body
          • Swimming helps build lung capacity
          • Dancing helps to build rhythm
          • Table Tennis, Badminton or Tennis are great for muscle-mind connection
  • Diet
    • Drink lots of water
    • Mindful eating
      • It's not just about what you eat, it's also about when you eat it
      • Take medication on an empty stomach
      • Eat light, preferably home-cooked food
      • Eat raw food – Fruits, Salads, Nuts, Seeds
      • Include fruits which are high in fiber and vitamin C
      • Eat vegetables which are easy to digest
      • Avoid Dairy
      • Avoid taking protein-rich food around your medication, but ensure that you don't eliminate protein from your diet entirely.
      • Try sticking to 3 or 4 meals in a day. Avoid snacking.
      • Avoid processed food and sugar in all forms
      • Practice intermittent fasting
  • Relaxation
    • Yoga Nidra (NSDR – non-sleep deep rest)
    • Massage
    • Soothing Music
  • Posture
    • Walk with heels firmly pressed to the ground, take long strides, swing your hands and walk as if you're marching to build momentum.
    • Use upper thigh strength as much as you can, like when you walk up a flight of stairs.
    • Stand with feet spread shoulder width and heels firmly pressed to the ground.
    • Widen Shoulders and chest to reduce stress on your neck.
    • Look straight.
    • Avoid using your phone. Use an external monitor and use tools which let you connect your phone to your screen.
    • Keep your back straight as much as you can and avoid hunching
  • Get the right mindset
    • Getting PD isn't the end of the world. It just needs you to adjust to a different and more disciplined way of life.
    • Be happy
    • Feel inspired and inspire others around you
    • Laugh
    • Meet people, have meaningful social interactions
    • Pursue hobbies
    • Celebrate your wins
    • Feel content
    • Be grateful
    • Help others
  • Miscellaneous
    • Wear comfortable and loose clothing which doesn't restrict your blood flow
    • Try to have a consistent routine every day
    • Avoid crowded enclosed places (since everyone in the room is competing for the same oxygen)
    • Ensure good personal hygiene to avoid infections
    • Automate or outsource repetitive and mundane tasks
    • Use smart home automation to control essential electrical appliances like lights, fans, ACs, etc by voice using Alexa or Google Assistant
    • use voice typing

Videos

Stress

Sleep

Meditate

Breathing

Yoga

Here's a list of asana's useful for someone dealing with Parkinson's. Courtesy Iyengar Yogashraya https://iyengaryogashraya.in/ -

  1. Gomukhasana – arm action (sitting position ONLY)
  2. Cross belt behind the back (in case you are very stiff then do this first and gomukhasana)
  3. Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana – Arms over the head, interlocked fingers. First arms bent – taking the elbows back and later arms straight)
  4. Vajrasana with folded blanket between the thighs and calves
  5. Baddha Konasana – with two belts around each leg
  6. Supta Baddha Konasana – block behind the back between shoulder blades and support for the head
  7. Supta Tadasana with belt around the waist and feet; rod between the belt and thigh and bolster under back. Thinner and shorter people can use a thin pillow. Those with tremors should use a wooden plank between the belt and feet.
  8. Supta Tadasana. Lie on a sticky mat, feet to the wall and push yourself away.
  9. Supta Padangusthasana – Feet against the wall. Bend one leg and bring thigh close to the abdomen
  10. Supta Padangusthasana – Feet against the wall. Bend one leg, hook the belt on the foot and straighten the leg. Other leg bent with foot on the floor.
  11. Uttanasana – legs straight, bend forward and rest the upper arms on the back rest of chair or table.
  12. Purvottanasana on two chair/bed with support for the back, belt for the thighs and block under feet. Head slightly higher supported.
  13. Viparita Dandasana – on chair – curving back.. (if you get back or neck pain or neck strain – it has gone wrong – come up)
  14. Bharadvajasana – Twisting on the chair
  15. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Lie on the bolster under the hips and lower back. if you get back pain – it has gone wrong – come up)
  16. Sarvangasana – chair. Bolster for the shoulders, blanket for the head – mat on the chair – sliding down.
  17. Adho Mukha Swastikasana – Sit on bolster and rest the forehead/upper arms on the seat of the chair. Move the bolster back as the body responds.
  18. Savasasana – keep the legs bent on the seat of the chair