We have likely all heard that exercise is good for us. We might even have heard how exercise can slow down, or even prevent, the spread of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These things have been discussed frequently on the web, the news, and in medical journals because it’s such a powerful piece of information. Neither Alzheimer’s nor Parkinson’s have a cure at this point, and both are terminal illnesses, meaning that they continuously grow worse until the person suffering from the disease eventually dies because of it. You have probably heard this before, but what you might not know is why exercise helps to prevent these things.
Until very recently, scientists and other medical researchers did not know precisely why exercise did what it did. There was plenty of evidence to point to the fact that exercise helped people dealing with these diseases, but exactly why was not quite as concrete. Simply using a treadmill at a rigorous rate on a daily basis can slow Parkinson’s, but why exactly this occurs has eluded doctors.
New research sheds a bit more light on this situation. A mouse model has indicated that exercise stops the accumulation of a neuronal protein called alpha-synuclein in brain cells. When these proteins clump together within brain cells, cells can atrophy and die. There are already drugs that help to accomplish the result of preventing this, but exercise seems to be just as effective. When the two are combined, the results can be even better.
Mice that had Parkinson’s disease were placed on a treadmill. After just three months, there was a significant improvement when it came to movement and cognitive functioning. This is very good news. Even though mice are not the same as humans, they show many similarities when it comes to medicine. If running on a treadmill improves brain functioning in a mouse model, it will likely do the same with us. Observation indicates that this is true. There’s a strong chance that the reasoning why is the same, as well.
Parkinson’s can be a difficult disease, and not just for the person suffering from it. Having someone in your family that you love that is dealing with Parkinson’s is tough. Hiring a caregiver can be a difficult process because it is a way of admitting that your mom or dad needs help. Although this might be quite obvious, it can be emotionally tough or frustrating. But, having a great caregiver on your side can make this process a lot easier. It can relieve the burden of seeing a loved one struggle to get through the day because you know that they are in good hands while you’re away.
This is why it’s so important that a superior caregiver be used. Going through a service–one that trains, conducts background checks on, and insures their caregivers–is really important, too. You want to trust your caregiver, and when these steps have been accomplished, it is easy to know that the best person for the job is working with the person that you love.
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