MENTAL ILLNESS

How common is mental illness? Psychological illnesses are extraordinarily common. The most common forms are anxiety and depression. A European study of depression found prevalence rates varying from 2.5% in Santander to 17% in Liverpool, while a worldwide study found...

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

What is Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease (PD) was originally described as “the shaking palsy” by James Parkinson in 1817. The main features are stiffness, a fixed facial expression, difficulty with movements and a characteristic so-called “pill...

EXERCISE IN THE TREATMENT OF STROKES

The use of exercise in stroke rehabilitation Management of the acute episode Exercise is vital to the restoration of muscle function. Rehabilitation should start as soon as blood supply to the brain has been re-established to the best possible level. It is usually...

EXERCISE AND STROKES

  What is a stroke? A stroke is “a serious life-threatening medical condition that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off” (NHS). The affected area of the brain loses its supply of oxygen and nutrition, resulting in rapid and...