Book advises patients how to ‘win’ against Parkinson ‘s

In this April 18, 2011 file photo, Dr. Michael Okun talks with former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno during the grand opening of the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration. He is the author of "Parkinson's Treatment: Ten Secrets to a Happier Life."

The body has its own shared, universal language and what it communicates during Parkinson's disease and how to best cope with those messages is the subject of a new book by a University of Florida physician that is traveling the world.

The book, Parkinson's Treatment: Ten Secrets to a Happier Life, by Dr. Michael Okun, co-director of the Center for Movement Disorders, is being translated into more than 20 languages by many of Okun's own colleagues and students.

The backyard garage project, as Okun calls it, is also the culmination of his bedside experience in treating Parkinson's disease patients from around the world a role Okun likens to cabinet-level minister reporting to the patient.

I feel very strongly that a doctor should not be paternalistic, he said. When you develop a bond with patients, and they realize you're there to share knowledge, the vast majority of patients are going to come with you.

Carol J. Walton, the CEO of a nonprofit called the Parkinson Alliance, said the book gets down smack in the middle of patients. It makes a big difference.

Okun's book reflects his hands-on approach. Taking note of the fact that doctors don't go home with patients, he writes about 10 secrets to having a better life after a Parkinson's disease diagnosis, which Okun said is important to distinguish from other neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS, Alzheimer's, or even brain tumors, which patients often confuse with Parkinson's.

Indeed, know the signs of Parkinson's disease is one of the 10 secrets. Another secret is be aggressive in treating depression and anxiety, especially since it's estimated that more than half of Parkinson's disease patients will suffer from depression.

Others include treating sleep disorders which are also common in patients exercising to improve brain function and asking about new therapies.

In a sense, this book is as much about medicine as philosophy: how to win with Parkinson's disease, Okun said.

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Book advises patients how to 'win' against Parkinson 's