A new approach to Parkinson’s research
ESSENCE - A new approach to managing Parkinsons.
In what is being hailed as an Australian first, new research will investigate the benefits of managing Parkinson’s disease through lifestyle changes and mindfulness techniques.
The Southern Academic Primary Care Research Unit (SAPCRU) together with Parkinson’s Victoria will evaluate a new program, which incorporates a range of strategies to enable sufferers to have a higher quality of life and to hopefully improve health outcomes in the future.
Led by Dr Craig Hassed from the Department of General Practice, the ‘ESSENCE’ program takes a holistic approach to treatment.
“We have known for some time that many chronic conditions respond better to treatment that incorporates medical and pharmaceutical treatment together with healthy lifestyle and psychological strategies like mindfulness,” Dr Hassed said.
“Studies based on similar principles of illnesses like heart disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis have shown promising findings and so it is exciting to find out if the same principles hold for other chronic conditions like Parkinson’s.”
“This research will take that thinking a step further and we will look at incorporating many more aspects of a person’s lifestyle into the treatment of the disease. For example, we will teach program participants how to deal better with day-to-day stress and the benefits of exercise. People who do the average thing tend to expect the average prognosis but it may be that people who do not do the average thing should not expect the average prognosis.”
Essence stands for Education, Stress management, Spirituality (meaning), Exercise, Nutrition, Connectedness (social support) and Environment.
Dr Hassed said they hope to engage 60 participants in their study and that staff at Monash may know sufferers who would benefit from the program.
“We have opened the doors of the study to Monash staff. Perhaps we do have members of the Monash community who would like to learn how to better cope with the condition or perhaps staff may know someone, a friend or family member, who could participate. It is estimated that approximately four people per 1000 have Parkinson's in Australia, with the incidence increasing to one in 100 over the age of 60,” Dr Hassed said.
More information is available from the SAPCRU website.