Back to Parkinson's Disease – Some Activities & Advice

In some cases, simply improving posture can alleviate the problem.

Try these simple exercises at home in front of the mirror.

- Emphasize as often and as calmly as possible the need to be RELAXED.
- Close the lips as tightly as possible and hold for a count of four, relax, then repeat five times
- Smack your lips together as if puffing on a pipe
- Stretch your lips in a wide smile, hold for a count of four and relax
- Purse your lips as if you are going to whistle or kiss someone, hold for a count of four and relax.
- Blow out a candle held at slowly increasing distances from the sufferer.
- It is also important to keep reminding to swallow.

The rigidity of Parkinson`s affects the muscles involved in the voluntary and involuntary swallowing processes. This will create a build-up, followed by an overflow and acute embarrassment.

We all swallow more than 500 times a day and usually clear our mouths subconsciously but the rigidity and slowness of movement that people with Parkinson’s experience will reduce this considerably. As a result a pooling of saliva occurs which can cause a soreness and rawness of the skin on the chin; clothes can become stained and many people suffer from a stale breath as a result.

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