Highlights from the Movement Disorder Society Virtual Congress 2021

  Every year the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) holds a conference and every year APDA is there, learning about the newest research and sharing our resources with the wider Parkinsonโ€™s disease (PD) community. The MDS Congress is the preeminent gathering of medical professionals from around the world who are dedicated to PD […]

The Future of Parkinsonโ€™s Disease Treatments – UPDATE

The Parkinsonโ€™s disease (PD) research community is extremely eager to find a medication that is disease modifying or neuroprotective (meaning it protects the nerve cells from damage or degeneration). There have been many attempts over the past number of years to demonstrate through clinical trials that particular compounds have neuroprotective effects but to date, these attempts have […]

New and innovative Parkinsonโ€™s disease research being funded by APDA

NEW, INNOVATIVE PARKINSONโ€™S DISEASE RESEARCH BEING FUNDED BY APDA On September 1, 2021, APDA announced our research grantees for the year ahead. Our grant recipients are working tirelessly to understand the complexities of Parkinsonโ€™s disease in an effort to develop new treatments and eventually, a cure, and we are honored to support their work. This […]

Lower back pain and Parkinsonโ€™s disease

Lower back pain and Parkinsonโ€™s disease Lower back pain is an extremely common problem in the general population, as well as for people with Parkinsonโ€™s disease (PD). It tends to make moving more difficult, adding to the challenges of PD. Tim Nordahl, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Boston University gave an excellent presentation as […]

Nia Technique, Alexander Technique, and Feldenkrais Method: Mindful movement-based practices for Parkinsonโ€™s disease

Mindful movement-based practices are popular complementary therapies in Parkinsonโ€™s disease (PD), defined as healing practices involving movement of the body while focusing on the mind. They are performed in addition to standard therapies with the goal of improving quality of life. Many of you probably have heard of yoga and tai chi, but there are […]

What types of exercise are best for people with Parkinsonโ€™s disease?

In last weekโ€™s blog, we addressed the reasons why it is vital for people with Parkinsonโ€™s disease to exercise, including (but not limited to) improving particular motor and non-motor symptoms such as impaired balance, gait disorders, depression, and cognition. Today, we will tackle another important question โ€“ what types of exercise are most beneficial to […]

Why exercise is critical for people with Parkinsonโ€™s disease

The Benefits of Exercise for Parkinsonโ€™s Disease Your family and friends are constantly encouraging you to exercise. Your doctors tell you that exercise is a vital component of Parkinsonโ€™s disease (PD) treatment. APDA programming includes exercise programs as a way for people with PD to gain control over their disease. But is exercise worth all […]

Occupational Therapy for Parkinsonโ€™s Disease: Tips and Tricks

How to treat Parkinsonโ€™s disease symptoms with occupational therapy Parkinsonโ€™s disease (PD) can introduce all types of challenges into your daily life, including those that interfere with simple activities that you used to take for granted โ€“ such as eating, writing, and using a cell phone. Sometimes medication changes can help you move more easily, […]

A Post-COVID World With Parkinsonโ€™s Disease

Since March 2020, we have been navigating the strange COVID-19 reality, a reality that kept shifting and continues to keep shifting. The impact of COVID-19 affected every part of our lives. First and foremost, it changed how we interacted with friends and family, but also changed how we shopped, how we exercised, how we gathered, […]

How Parkinsonโ€™s Disease Researchers Get Funding for Their Work

Learn more about how Parkinsonโ€™s research grant proposals are created, from inception to submission to APDA Every May, APDAโ€™s Scientific Advisory Board  (SAB) meets to choose the research grants that APDA will fund in the upcoming fiscal year. APDAโ€™s SAB is comprised of highly successful scientists with a broad range of backgrounds and expertise in […]