16-22 April 2012 is Parkinson’s Awareness Week
http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/support-us/parkinsons-awareness-week.aspx
One person in every 500 has Parkinson’s. That’s about 127,000 people in theUK.
Most people who get Parkinson’s are aged 50 or over but younger people can get it too. One in 20 is under the age of 40.
The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.
As well as affecting movement, people with Parkinson’s can find that other issues, such as tiredness, pain, depression and constipation, can have an impact on their day-to-day lives.
There’s currently no cure for Parkinson’s but the symptoms, as they progress are controlled with medication and other therapies. Although there are not many studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture for the relief of parkinsons symptoms, anecdotal evidence suggests many people experience significant relief (see details on forums: http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/pdsforum/posts.aspx?forum=treatments&topic=acupunctu-1)
The British Acupuncture council also gives further information on how acupuncture may be beneficial and where to access research on the subject: http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1780:what-about-parkinsons-disease-?&Itemid=461
Eleanor Breen Acupuncture, Bristol