April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is estimated to afflict seven to ten million people worldwide and approximately one million in the U.S. This chronic and progressive movement disorder occurs when part of the brain deteriorates due to dopamine deficiency. Dopamine impacts movement, emotional response and the ability to feel pleasure. The severity of the disease differs from person to person. So far, there is no cure, but researchers are hopeful.
Research evidence is showing that exercise may have an important effect on the progression of Parkinson’s. A study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine in 2007 suggests that exercise may slow the progression of the disease and possibly even prevent it. Regular exercise may also reduce anxiety, increase confidence, offer more social interaction and provide a distraction from worries. It makes sense since exercise increases blood calcium levels which is known to increase dopamine production in the brain.
SottoPelle® has been working with PD patients for some time now. Many early-onset patients have seen benefits from using our bioidentical hormone pellet therapy. We have found that testosterone pellets decrease inflammation in the brain enabling men and women with Parkinson’s Disease to exercise. Estradiol pellets help restore dopamine production. This results in increased functionality and a slowed progression of their disease. Patients have also reported experiencing more mobility, diminished depression, and even a reduction in medications. SottoPelle® BHRT has additionally helped motivate them to exercise more, which in itself increases the vitality and energy needed to keep active. Improved quality of life seems to also be a common denominator among our PD patients.
For many years now, SottoPelle® has supported the mission to educate people on Parkinson’s and find a cure. Dr. Gino Tutera, our founder and director, presented an educational talk in 2015 to the Banner Neuro Center in Gilbert, AZ, to share his observations with the medical community. We have also participated in the annual Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night for the past two years. This star-studded gala is known as one of the premiere charity events in the nation. For more than 20 years, celebrities have come together at this event to raise money for a variety of worthy causes, including the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. This year’s event is being held on April 9th at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ, and we’ll be there supporting the cause. (www.celebrityfightnight.org)
If you are living with Parkinson’s Disease, please give us a call. We would love to see if we can help you in your journey to a better quality life.
