Parkinson Disease

Today is Parkinson's Disease Day.  Around 1 million people in the United States have Parkinson's Disease, with about 50,000 new cases every year.  There is no known cause, although a family history of PD will increase the risk of getting it.  There is also no known cure, but there are medications and treatments which can help patients with the symptoms.

Here are 10 books on Parkinson's Disease.

Brain Storms: The Race to Unlock the Mysteries of Parkinson's Disease by Jon Palfreman - Seven million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's-- with sixty thousand new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone-- and it remains an enigma, with doctors, researchers, and patients hunting for a cure. In Brain Storms, award-winning journalist Jon Palfreman tells their story, a story that takes on urgency when he is diagnosed with the debilitating illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have labored to crack the mystery of what was once called 'the shaking palsy,' from the earliest clinical descriptions to the cutting edge of molecular neuroscience. He charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to best the disease, referred to as one of the best windows into the brain itself.

The Enlightened Mr. Parkinson: The Pioneering Life of a Forgotten Surgeon and the Mysterious Disease That Bears His Name by Cherry Lewis - A colorful and absorbing portrait of James Parkinson -- after whom Parkinson's disease is named -- and the turbulent, intellectually vibrant world of Georgian London. Author Cherry Lewis examines Parkinson's three seemingly disparate passions: medicine, politics, and fossils. As a political radical, Parkinson was interrogated over a plot to kill King George III, putting himself in danger of being exiled. He helped Edward Jenner set up smallpox vaccination stations across London, saving countless lives. He also wrote the first scientific study of fossils in English, jump-starting a craze for fossil hunting in Britain. Parkinson was truly one of the intellectual pioneers of 'the age of wonder,' forgotten to history -- until now.

Everything You Need To Know About Parkinson's Disease: The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson's and Their Caregivers by Lianna Marie - Written in plain, easy-to-understand language, this book teaches you everything you need to know to about Parkinson's Disease, without you guessing or searching endlessly for answers to your biggest questions. This book is the result of 25 years experience and research in living a life with Parkinson's Disease. It's chock-full of vital facts, helpful hints and critical information... all in one easy to read book.
Here's some of what you're going to discover:
Discover exactly what is Parkinson's Disease. What causes it? How fast does it progress?
How to get correctly diagnosed in determining whether it's really Parkinson's disease.
Is Parkinson's hereditary? Discover what the latest research shows about whether you should be concerned if your parent or close family ancestry had Parkinson's.
22 of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Learn these symptoms so you won't be fooled by other 'look alikes'.
What the latest research shows about the most effective ways to slow the progression of Parkinson's.
The 5 Stages of Parkinson's and how to identify which stage you're at now.
How Parkinson's can affect your life expectancy and whether people die from the disease. It's a lot less scary than you think!
Why attending a Parkinson's support group meeting may NOT be the best move for someone who has just been diagnosed with the disease.

Goodbye Parkinson's, Hello Life!: The Gyro-Kinetic Method for Eliminating Symptoms and Reclaiming Your Good Health by Alex Kerten - Parkinson's Disease, a disorder of the central nervous system, affects 1 million people in America and 10 million worldwide. In Goodbye Parkinson's, Hello Life! Alex Kerten presents his breakthrough holistic technique that combines dance therapy, behavior modification, and martial arts, to prove that there is life beyond the diagnosis of PD. Goodbye Parkinson's, Hello life! received "Recommended Reading" status by the Michael J. Fox Foundation and listings on the National Parkinson's Association social media sites.Those who follow Kerten's techniques and are committed to becoming "Parkinson's warriors" can succeed in eliminating many, if not most, of their symptoms and return to a productive and fulfilling life. Instead of viewing themselves as Parkinson's victims, the methods in Goodbye Parkinson's, Hello life! will lead them to become healthy people with Parkinson's. Includes 20 easy to follow exercises.

Living Well With Parkinson's Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You - That You Need to Know by Gretchen Garie and Michael J. Church - A complete guide to Parkinson's from two people with the disease who cofounded a national support and advocacy organization.
In Living Well with Parkinson's Disease, Gretchen Garie and Michael J. Church, a couple who both have Parkinson's and live daily with the effects of the disease, thoroughly discuss diagnosis, treatment options, and the emotional consequences of this difficult illness. With a conversational, pragmatic, and personal tone, they offer advice on such topics as:

• how Parkinson's disease affects relationships
• the role of diet, supplements, and rest and relaxation
• strategies for navigating professional life and the maze of the health-care system
• handling everyday challenges such as buttoning a shirt or rolling over in bed
• and more!

Compassionate and inspiring, Living Well with Parkinson's Disease offers knowledge and wisdom from those who understand the challenges of dealing with Parkinson's every day.

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center 100 Questions and Answers About Parkinson Disease by Abraham Lieberman - Whether you're a newly diagnosed patient, or are a friend or relative of someone suffering from Parkinson Disease, this book offers help. Completely revised and updated, The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center 100 Questions & Answers About Parkinson Disease, Second Edition is the only text available to provide both the doctor's and patient's views and gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, quality of life, and sources of support. Written by an internationally recognized expert on Parkinson Disease, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional turmoil of this devastating disease.

My Degeneration: A Journey Through Parkinson's by Peter Dunlap-Shohl - How does one deal with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease at the age of forty-three? My Degeneration, by former Anchorage Daily News staff cartoonist Peter Dunlap-Shohl, answers the question with humor and passion, recounting the author's attempt to come to grips with the "malicious whimsy" of this chronic, progressive, and disabling disease. This graphic novel tracks Dunlap-Shohl's journey through depression, the worsening symptoms of the disease, the juggling of medications and their side effects, the impact on relations with family and community, and the raft of mental and physical changes wrought by the malady.
My Degeneration examines the current state of Parkinson's care, including doctor/patient relations and the repercussions of a disease that, among other things, impairs movement, can rob patients of their ability to speak or write, degrades sufferers' ability to deal with complexity, and interferes with the sense of balance. Readers learn what it's like to undergo a dramatic, demanding, and audacious bit of high-tech brain surgery that can mysteriously restore much of a patient's control over symptoms. But My Degeneration is more than a Parkinson's memoir. Dunlap-Shohl gives the person newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease the information necessary to cope with it on a day-to-day basis. He chronicles the changes that life with the disease can bring to the way one sees the world and the way one is seen by the wider community. Dunlap-Shohl imparts a realistic basis for hope-hope not only to carry on, but to enjoy a decent quality of life.

Navigating Life with Parkinson Disease by Sotirios A. Parashos, Rose L. Wichmann, & Todd Melby - Here is a marvelous guide for anyone affected by Parkinson's disease - patients, caregivers, family members, and friends. Containing the most up-to-date information on the disease, one of the most common neurological disorders, it discusses the available treatments and provides practical advice on how to manage the disease in the long term. Emphasizing life-style adjustments that will provide a better quality of life and moderate the burden for patients and their loved ones, the book answers many questions and clarifies misunderstandings regarding the disease.Written by two experts on Parkinson's disease and a freelance journalist, the book is approachable and easily understandable. Question and answer sections are provided, while "hot topics" are highlighted for easy visibility. The authors have also included true patient stories that will both inspire and instruct, and they have addressed several topics often not mentioned in physician-directed disease management, such as how to talk to family and friends about one's life with Parkinson's.

The New Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book: Partnering With Your Doctor to Get the Most From Your Medications by J. Eric Ahlskog - The fundamental guide to the most effective treatments for Parkinson's Disease, from a Mayo Clinic doctor with thirty years of clinical and research experience.In this second edition follow-up to the extremely successful first edition, Dr. Ahlskog draws on thirty years of clinical experience to present the definitive guide to dealing with all aspects of Parkinson's Disease, from treatment options and side effects to the impact of the disease on caregivers and family. Dr. Ahlskog's goal is to educate patients so that they can better team up with their doctors to do battle with the disease, streamlining the decision-making process and enhancing their treatment. To do this, Dr. Ahlskog offers a gold mine of information, distilled from more than 30 years of experience treating people with Parkinson's at the Mayo Clinic. In addition to providing a comprehensive account of Parkinson's medications, this book also examines additional aspects of treatment, such as the role of nutrition, exercise, and physical therapy.Although many commendable texts have been written on the subject of Parkinson's Disease, their discussions of treatment have not been in depth. Dr. Ahlskog sifts through aspects of the disease in order to give the reader a comprehensive sense of Parkinson's and the best available treatment options.With a broader understanding of the disease and the available options, patients are able to make more informed choices, and doctors are able to provide more tailored care. This book delivers hopeful, helpful, and extensive information to all parties concerned: patients, caregivers, and doctors.The ultimate guide to symptoms and treatment, this thoroughly updated second edition is the first place patients should turn for reliable, easy-to-grasp information on Parkinson's Disease.

A Parkinson's Primer: An Indispensable Guide to Parkinson's Disease for Patients and Their Families by John M. Vine - A Parkinson's Primer begins where John Vine's education about Parkinson's disease began--with his diagnosis in 2004 at age 60. Relying on his experiences over the past 12 years, John writes knowledgeably about the basics of the disease: its causes, symptoms, and effects. He examines current treatments as well as therapies in development. He has compiled easy-to-reference lists such as "Myths and Misconceptions," "Questions" for patients to ask doctors, "Drugs Treating Movement Symptoms," and John's personal "Guidelines." John also interviewed 22 Parkinson's patients and their partners, whose stories and advice he includes throughout. Parkinson's is the second most prevalent neuro-degenerative disease in the U.S.; approximately 60,000 people are diagnosed each year. Here is the book that John and his wife, Joanne, wish they could have consulted when John was first diagnosed--a clear, candid, nontechnical, personal guide written from the patient's perspective. It is essential reading not only for the newly diagnosed patient but for all Parkinson's patients and their loved ones. As John writes in his preface: "I wrote this book to help Parkinson's patients become better patients, to help their relatives become better relatives, and to help their friends become better friends."  Since his diagnosis with Parkinson's in 2004, John has spent considerable time learning about the disease, interviewing other patients and their partners, and developing the ideas presented in this book