'I reversed all of my Parkinson's symptoms with one lifestyle change'
25.02.2023 - 11:41
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Scott Hanley had been out enjoying a walk when his foot suddenly stopped moving. “Right, OK,” he thought to himself as he stared down at his frozen limb. “This isn’t normal.”
The strange incident in September 2018 was just the latest in a string of odd occurrences. Following months of cramps, twitches and tremors in his legs and hand, the 56-year-old finally decided to visit a doctor.
Just three months later, the test results were conclusive and Scott’s worst fears were realised – he had Parkinson’s disease.
““The medical advice was, you know, ‘There’s nothing we can do for you here. Come back when you’re much worse,’” he said.
Parkinson’s disease is an incurable disorder of the nervous system which mostly affects movement. Currently, 145,000 people in the UK are living with the condition.
READ MORE: 'My condition started with minor wrist ache - what followed was a nightmare'
The disease is characterised by motor impairments including tremors, slow movement, muscle rigidity, imbalance and cognitive decline.
While the rate of deterioration varies by individual, the condition often results in major disability after the ten-year mark.
There is currently no treatment for Parkinson’s disease. However, sufferers may be prescribed levodopa, a dopamine-replacement agent used to control symptoms. In Scott's case, he claimed the drug only made him feel worse.
Though his symptoms were mild at the time of diagnosis, they rapidly deteriorated over the following 18 months. Scott described his left hand as “unreliable”, remembering the time he involuntarily flung his iPhone across the room while attempting to open his calendar app.
“Your legs would just be moving constantly,” he said. “You’re dancing like Elvis Presley,