Celebrating 100 Podcast Episodes!

Join us in celebrating the 100 podcast episodes of our series: Substantial Matters: The Life and Science of Parkinson’s Disease! It’s important to us that we take a pause and celebrate the victories with you, our listeners.

To commemorate our 100 episodes of educating the Parkinson’s community “on air,” we want to share some of our favorite episodes with you below. We also want to hear from you ― what topics are you interested in learning more about? Tell us by taking this survey.

Diagnosis

Episode 1: Early Warning Signs of Parkinson's 

In our debut episode, Michael Okun, MD, talks about early signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) and offers practical advice on how to proceed after a diagnosis. If you or a loved one recently received a Parkinson’s diagnosis, be sure to order your Newly Diagnosed Kit at Parkinson.org/NewlyDiagnosed.

Motor Symptoms

Episode 90: Movement Strategies: Mobility, Falls & Freezing of Gait

Heather Cianci, PT, GCS says an early consultation can take advantage of a particularly valuable window of opportunity to address movement issues and improving movement and physical impairments can improve one’s mental state as well. Download our Falls Prevention or Freezing and PD fact sheets for additional tips on managing motor symptoms.

Non-Motor Symptoms

Episode 38: More Than a Movement Disorder: Addressing Mood and Coping

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Jessica Shurer, discusses the emotional changes that may occur throughout the course of Parkinson's disease along with suggestions for how people who are unable to travel to large medical centers may find help to address their emotional needs. Download our fact sheets on Anxiety in Parkinson’s, Apathy in Parkinson’s and Combatting Depression to learn more about non-movement PD symptoms.

Treatment & Management

Episode 5: How to Manage Parkinson’s “Off” Time

Parkinson’s can be unpredictable ― symptoms can come and go or get better and worse throughout the day. Irene Malaty, MD, explains more about what causes these changes and how you can work with your doctor to manage them. Read, order or purchase the Kindle eBook of Managing Mid-Stride: A Treatment Guide to Parkinson’s.

Fitness & Exercise

Episode 3: The Benefits of Exercise for People with Parkinson's

Regular exercise is essential for people with Parkinson's. Bas Bloem, MD, PhD, describes what is known about exercise and PD and what is still in the research stages. He also offers tips on overcoming barriers to getting enough exercise. Read, order or purchase the Kindle version of our book Fitness Counts and fact sheet, Exercise and Parkinson’s.

Marijuana and Parkinson’s

Episode 26: Medical Marijuana - Going Green for Parkinson's?

Danny Bega, MD sheds light on some of the issues and concerns surrounding the use of medicinal cannabis for people with Parkinson's. Learn more about Parkinson’s and marijuana at Parkinson.org/Marijuana.

Nutrition

Episode 4: The Importance of Good Nutrition for People with Parkinson’s 

Nutrition is increasingly part of the conversation when it comes to good Parkinson's care. Dr. Bloem describes how diet can help improve some of the symptoms of Parkinson's and optimize the effects of medication, and he offers tips on getting adequate nutrition. Download our fact sheet Nutrition and PD to learn more about how nutrition can impact PD.

PDGENEration

Episode 64: The Background of the PDGENEration Initiative

When you participate in our ground-breaking study, PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s disease, you can help scientists in their journey to advance understanding of PD, leading to new, more effective PD therapies. If you have a confirmed Parkinson’s diagnosis, visit Parkinson.org/PDGENEration to learn more and enroll.

Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD)

Episode 10: Young-Onset Parkinson’s 101

A YOPD diagnosis brings with it special challenges. For example, deciding how and when to disclose the diagnosis at work and to children can be difficult, not to mention coping with a progressive condition and trying to plan for the future. Social worker Elaine Book discusses these challenges and more, as well as techniques for dealing with them. Listen to other YOPD podcast episodes: Characteristics of YOPD and YOPD: Lifestyle, Family, and Counseling.

Hospitalization

Episode 77: An Aware in Care Success Story 

Aware in Care Ambassadors Kathy McMurray and Sara Holman share their success stories, as both were instrumental in educating hospital staff and refining the electronic medical records system to meet the unique needs to treat people with PD. Visit Parkinson.org/AwareInCare to order your Aware in Care hospital kit or download its components.

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