4 pillars approach

A new approach to Parkinson’s!

Each of us lives with a degenerative condition called ageing, yet most people in their seventies do not feel limited by a reduced ability to do certain things. With Parkinson’s, accepting and adapting to this reality is more difficult, because we are less prepared to face it. Still, we must learn to adapt and, just as with ageing, accept the fact that we are constantly changing.

Healthcare systems in Europe are not always on our side. A diagnosis is made, a set of pills is prescribed, and a follow-up appointment is scheduled for the following year. This represents a psychological shock that is poorly understood and that affects both the patient and their family. Questions arise naturally: “What are we supposed to do? What will happen next?”

According to a well-known study (Parkinson Outcomes Project), the first factors that undermine the quality of life of a person with Parkinson’s are apathy and depression.

The 4 pillars of the ReGen protocol

Medicines

We stay updated on the best therapies, aware that healing goes beyond medications alone. This is just one pillar.

Physical activity

Targeted neurotherapy and physiotherapy exercises to significantly improve movement, strength, and balance.

Lifestyle

You remember, the Joy, the dreams and that sense of self worth. These CAN be taken back into your life IF YOU WANT them, we can show you how

Psychological well-being

Listening, Stress management, motivational Therapy and real time emotional support to better deal with every day.

It’s not medication alone that changes the life of a person with depression; all four elements need to carry the same weight.

It’s hardly surprising that over 50% of people with Parkinson’s are clinically depressed, and that the vast majority tend to withdraw into themselves rather than seek help. The sad truth about Parkinson’s is misinformation.

The picture would be completely different if people were told: “It is possible to reduce symptoms by up to 40%; you can slow progression, and your life can become more meaningful if you make the right choices.”

Some people are reluctant to admit they have Parkinson’s, almost as if they fear being seen as different or weaker. Yet even a Paralympic athlete is applauded because they have chosen to fight. Anyone who faces adversity with determination is stronger.

Statements like “Parkinson’s made me a better person” or “Parkinson’s was an opportunity” make little sense at the moment of diagnosis.

According to a well-known study (the Parkinson Outcomes Project), the first factors to destroy quality of life for a person with Parkinson’s are apathy and depression not the now well-known motor symptoms. This is a crucial point in learning how to live with Parkinson’s.

We often meet families devastated by Parkinson’s, and week after week we explain that Parkinson’s can lead to change change that can strengthen them and open up new opportunities. Parkinson’s does not destroy our lives; it imposes limits that we must adapt to.

Our therapeutic approach is based on the concept of four key pillars to maintain a good quality of life. Medication is, of course, central but a house with only one wall cannot support a roof. It’s not medication alone that changes the life of a depressed person; all four elements must carry equal weight.

If we want to learn a foreign language, one hour a week is not enough. Two weeks of full immersion would have a far greater impact. We would achieve even more by applying what we’ve learned every day and speaking that language daily for the rest of our lives. It’s the same with Parkinson’s.

Medication is an essential pillar fundamental for every person with Parkinson’s but it is not a crutch.

As mentioned earlier, drug therapy is what enables us to move and helps manage certain aspects of Parkinson’s. A well-known British neurologist recently explained: “We know a great deal about Parkinson’s, but we cannot truly know what it is like to have and live with Parkinson’s.” This is probably one of the reasons he is such an exceptional neurologist. We have met many people who have seen more than ten neurologists and complain about never having found the “right” one who could *solve* their problems. It’s unrealistic to expect that, in a 20-minute appointment, a neurologist can address all the complexities of Parkinson’s with a miracle pill. Medication is an essential, basic pillar for every person with Parkinson’s but it is not a crutch.

The European Parkinson Therapy Centre does not intervene in the medication plans of its clients. We do not change or prescribe new medications during their stays. If requested, we can provide contact details of neurologists who collaborate with the Centre and who may be able to support our clients.

The importance of physical activity is now well established. Just like taking medication, it is scientifically accepted that it must be done every day to produce and maintain results. Consistency matters more than quantity. But what kind of movement really helps us improve our condition? Walking is a fundamental and essential part of daily life with Parkinson’s. It has a neuroprotective effect in short, it helps slow neurodegeneration. This is beneficial for everyone, but especially for people with Parkinson’s. This is the second of the four pillars of ReGen Therapy, and the one we place the greatest emphasis on.

Tango therapy, going to the gym, and physiotherapy are often mentioned, but in reality, if they are not done daily, their effects are limited.

Studies show that physiotherapy must be combined with conscious thinking: “think before you move.” This point is often overlooked and is based on the concept of neuroplasticity. If you break a leg, it can be rehabilitated but for people with Parkinson’s, the issue is different. Physiotherapy must be combined with conscious thought (“neurotherapy”). If we focus on correcting our posture, increasing our stride length, and coordinating arm movement, and then consciously continue to do so, we will find that in a relatively short time the brain adapts to this new normal and the movement becomes automatic.

Group therapies are also popular, but everyone is different and everyone’s Parkinson’s is different. Take four chefs and give them the same ten ingredients: you’ll end up with four different dishes. If you truly want to reduce symptoms, it’s essential to work one-on-one with a specialist to identify, correct, and learn how to continue these improvements at home.

Doing the shopping, walking instead of driving, gardening, or any daily activity is important and useful for staying active. A lack of motivation or loss of interest are signs that your lifestyle and the way you approach everyday life may not be right. Try to do what you enjoy or better yet, develop a passion.

We know that if we don’t use our mental and physical abilities, they gradually decline and are eventually lost.

Always combine a specific activity or exercise at least two to three times a week with daily movement just as you do with medication. If you didn’t take it, it wouldn’t work.

Lifestyle is perhaps the least understood and therefore the most challenging of the four pillars. Beyond the well-known points, such as the importance of a healthy diet and stress management, it’s essential to recognise that we have a choice in how we live our lives. We can choose apathy and negativity, or we can choose to take control. We can choose to hand over our quality of life to a neurologist or to our partners, or we can choose to focus on what we enjoy and take an active role ourselves. Choosing to keep doing everything at the same pace as before is not a wise decision. Living life at full speed, as we once did, is like driving a fast car with an engine that’s slowly losing power: sooner or later, it will break down.

Life changes but who says we can’t decide *how* it should change? If we choose to do less, but more often do the things we enjoy, our quality of life can be preserved, if not improved. Too often, we confuse quantity with quality of life.

Understanding the truth about Parkinson’s makes us stronger just as realising that we can influence its progression and symptoms does. It’s far harder to fight a battle we don’t believe in, or whose strategy we don’t understand. Only when we accept and understand this can we be truly motivated, and that motivation is effective only if we combine what we *have* to do with what we *enjoy*. We can’t stay motivated if we keep doing what’s required without any reward. Dopamine is released in our brain when we do something pleasurable; for example, we’re far more likely to go for a long, healthy walk if there’s a reward waiting at the end, like a stop at an ice-cream parlour or our favourite café.

These three stages lead to real action action we believe in and can sustain. Too many people talk about what they should do without having truly accepted it, understood it, and decided to put it into practice.

If one of these four pillars collapses, it can bring down the others. That’s why apathy and depression are so destructive. When we stop caring, stop exercising, and stop living, we’re left with medication alone back to square one. Worse still, we fall into what an excellent neurologist has called the “vortex of apathy”. This vortex pulls us downward, eliminates neuroprotection and neuroplasticity, and destroys people with Parkinson’s and the lives of those around them.

Focusing only on life before Parkinson, instead of dedicating ourselves to everything we still haven’t done, is the root of depression. Looking to the future can bring fear and anxiety: “Where will I be in ten years? What does the future hold?”

The truth is that neither looking forward nor backward really matters: what matters is *today*. We must focus on managing and making the most of each day finding the fun, learning the truth, and living a full life with Parkinson’s.