VVMC and Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center offer free Parkinson’s disease seminar Sept. 8 & 9
|
|
 |
|
|
Sept. 2, 2011
|
|
Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) and The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center are presenting Parkinson’s Disease 101 (PD 101), a seminar for those with Parkinson’s disease and their families. This free, two-part seminar is 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8 and Friday, Sept. 9 in VVMC’s Conference Room A, 269 S. Candy Lane. Pre-registration is required; call the Barrow Resource Link at 800 227-7691. VVMC’s Sept. 9 Parkinson’s Support Group is canceled to accommodate the two-day seminar.
PD 101 will provide valuable information to those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and their families that will allow them to understand and manage their disease on a day-to-day basis. The seminar will cover what happens in the brain of those with PD, symptoms; treatment options including medication, surgery and therapies; developing an exercise program; nutrition; sleep disturbances; care giving; how to talk to your physician; and many other topics. Participants will receive a resource manual that includes a copy of the presentations as well as educational material on topics covered in the seminar.
Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. It is both chronic and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse and continue over time. Some common symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors of the hands, arms, legs or jaw; rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; slowness of movement; and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.
As many as 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease and 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. On average, the onset age for Parkinson’s disease is 60 years old; however, an estimated 15 percent of Parkinson’s disease patients are diagnosed before the age 50.
To learn more about the programs and services offered at Verde Valley Medical Center, visit VerdeValleyMedicalCenter.com. For more information about VVMC’s Parkinson’s support group or to learn about other support groups held at VVMC, please call 928 639-6383.
|