Walkathon Marks World Parkinson’s Day

April is celebrated as Parkinson’s awareness month all over the world and to raise awareness on the same, a Parkinson’s Awareness Walkathon was organised at Leisure Valley, Mohali. Giving the details, Organiser of the Walkathon, Dr Jaslovleen Sidhu, who is a neurologist and Punjab’s first Parkinson’s disease & Movement Disorder Specialist, said, “Parkinson’s disease is world’s 2nd most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s dementia. The most important symptom of Parkinsons is slowness of activities, hand or leg tremors, and loss of balance while walking. Few other symptoms are small handwriting, loss of smell, mood changes, sleep disturbances and constipation.”

This was the second time that this event was held by Dr Jaslovleen Sidhu, as she promised last year to make it an annual event. Dr Sidhu has been working on raising awareness and bringing advanced treatment options available to patients in Punjab and adjoining areas. In the last one year, she has performed over 10 Deep Brain Stimulation surgeries for patients of Parkinsons disease and given them a new lease of life.

The event was attended by Parkinsons disease patients and their families, students of YPS School Mohali and many doctors from the tricity – supporting the cause. The event completed successfully at 9 am and it definitely left a great impact on everyone who attended it, and will go in long run to raise awareness on Parkinson’s disease.

Dr Sidhu stressed that it is the responsibility of our generation to raise awareness on this because Parkinson’s disease is often misdiagnosed with the “ageing” process and therefore treatment is often missed or delayed. By raising awareness we can detect it early and offer the right treatment and hence – a better quality of life.

Dr. Jaslovleen Sidhu is a Neurologist with special training in Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders – from NHNN, London, UK and National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore. She is practising at Mohali and offering the most advanced treatment options available in Parkinson’s disease including Deep Brain Stimulation surgery.