Walk for Parkinson’s: An awareness initiative by Artemis Hospitals

New Delhi: Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram organized a Walkathon on Sunday morning to mark the occasion of upcoming “World Parkinson Day 2022”.

The event was aimed at spreading awareness amongst people and share the journey of people battling with the disease. It witnessed the presence of Guest of Honor, Major DP Singh an Indian Army War veteran, Marathoner, skydiver, National Awardee for Empowerment of person with disabilities & Brand Ambassador: India Army 2018.

The Walkathon was followed by a series of activities and interactive sessions including Zumba Session by future you, Laughter Yoga Therapies by ACME INSTITUTE and Interactive session with experts including Dr. Sumit Singh (Chief-Neurology, Parkinson’s Specialist & co-Chief-Stroke Unit), Dr. Aditya Gupta (Chief-Neurosurgery & CNS Radiosurgery & Co-Chief-Cyberknife Centre), Dr. Manish Mahajan (Sr. Consultant Neurology & head of Neuroimmunology) and Dr. Ashutosh Rath (Associate Consultant, Neurology).

The team of expert doctors apprised people about the disease, its symptoms, medical treatment, and the available option of surgery for Parkinson’s disease. The interactive sessions were quite insightful and increased awareness amongst people. The winners were felicitated with medals and certificates after the walkathon. The event also witnessed the presence of CEO GMDA Mr. Subhash Yadav, who was seen actively involved with the patients during the walkathon and also took an initiative of Tree Plantation after the walkathon, also GMDA has contributed 200 saplings for the Plantation initiative.

Speaking on the occasion Guest of Honor Major DP Singh Said “A soldier remains a fighter for life, and always puts the nation and his team first. These values stick even when the uniform is off. Challenges are a part of life and should be taken with the soldier’s spirit of Never Say Die and Parkinson is one such phase which we can overcome with a lot patience and best medical treatment. After the entire journey with Indian Army, age has gifted me with the challenge of Parkinson disease but being a soldier, I am fighting and will fight with this too to live a normal life.”

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurological disorders amongst the elderly age group. It usually develops and advances with ageing though in some of the rare cases; it has been witnessed among children and teenagers as well. Parkinson’s disease symptoms vary from person to person and early signs go unnoticed.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sumit Singh, Chief-Neurology, Parkinson’s Specialist & co-Chief, Stroke Unit, Artemis Hospitals said “Those suffering from Parkinson’s disease exhibit symptoms such as shaking of limbs, muscle stiffness, and trouble walking and maintaining their balance and coordination. Through this walkathon we aim to build their self-esteem and honor them for the courage of living a normal life post the treatment. The timely diagnosis and taking complete treatment of Parkinson’s disease is very important as the proper course of medications helps in improving the symptoms significantly. The treatment of Parkinson’s disease includes medication and surgery along with the lifestyle modifications though it varies based on the patient’s symptoms.”

Researchers have found that genetic mutations can also be one of the causes of Parkinson’s disease. However, it has very rare chances except there is a history of many Parkinson’s patients in the family. It has also been found that males are more prone to fall for neuro disorders as compared to females.

In some severe cases, if a person’s condition doesn’t improve with medications, then surgery is also considered and advised.

Sharing views on the advanced technology of surgery available, Dr. Aditya Gupta, Chief-Neurosurgery & CNS Radiosurgery & Co-Chief, Cyberknife Centre, Artemis Hospitals said “It’s very fortunate to have a successful treatment model for Parkinson disease which is DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery, as it plays a significant role in the treatment of severe cases. This can also be considered for people with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. In this surgery, a small device is placed inside the patient’s chest which sends electrical pulses to the brain. Further to this, it helps to stimulate the patient’s motor functions. After the surgery, there would be a moderate requirement of the medication.

With this Walkathon Artemis Hospitals marks the beginning of the weeklong Parkinson awareness initiatives by the team of experts from Artemis Hospitals & AGRIM Institute of Neurosciences.