Nov 28, 2012

Parkinson’s Disease and Its Celebrity Victims



Commonly, the symptoms of Parkinson’s are manifested by people in their 60s or 70s. But then, more than one in twenty people with the ailment started experiencing Parkinson’s before they reached the age of 40. In fact, a lot of personalities have been known for having the neurological disorder at a younger age. Here are some of them:

·        Freddie Roach. His boxing career was cut short at age 26 after he showed early signs of Parkinson’s. However, he gained recognition as a topnotch boxing trainer of the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan. Despite his disorder, he still manages to do training routines with his trainees by controlling the slow progress of the disease through medication and injections.

Freddie Roach (Image Source: poptower.com)
·        Michael J. Fox. He is widely known for his character Marty McFly in “Back to the Future.” After the success of the movie, he displayed symptoms of Parkinson’s in 1990. Eight years later, he opened up to the public about his condition. Since then, he has become an advocate of medical research for possible cures of Parkinson’s disease.

Michal J. Fox (Image Source: zimbio.com)
·     Muhammad Ali. One of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. The man who was dubbed “The Greatest” and was formerly known as Cassius Clay, he was known for his ever-controversial boxing career. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984 shortly after retirement due to the effects of being a boxer.

Muhammad Ali (Image Source: richardcorman.com)

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition that affects the brain caused by the deterioration and destruction of important cells that secrete dopamine. Dopamine is a simple organic chemical of the body that plays an important role in the body system, particularly that of the brain. Symptoms of Parkinson’s include the following:

·         Impairment of balance
·         Muscle rigidity
·         Shaking of the feet and/or hands
·         Slow movement

(Image Source: shop.choosetoawaken.com)

A person with Parkinson’s disease can be entitled to Social Security disability benefits. The medical condition is classified under “neurological conditions” by the Social Security Administration (SSA). To pursue a claim for disability benefits, he or she must retain the services of any Los Angeles Social Security disability lawyers.

1 comment:

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