International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is held on 3 December each year. IDPwD is a United Nations sanctioned day that is celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions.The Australian Government has been supporting IDPwD since 1996 and provides funds to promote and raise awareness of the day around Australia.
Every step counts towards a healthy life. This year, Stroke Foundation is encouraging Australians to discover how easy it is to fit healthy habits into their day and do their part to prevent stroke. It’s estimated that more than 80 percent of strokes can be prevented simply by managing risk factors and living a healthy lifestyle. There are some risk factors for stroke which can’t be prevented like age, family history and prior stroke. If you’re male, your risk is also higher.
There are two ways to approach this: first by talking to your doctor and secondly by taking ownership of your own health.
Take charge of your own health:
- Eat well.
- Stay active.
- Be smoke free.
- Moderate alcohol intake.
- Visit your doctor for a health check to help manage blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat).
Source: National Stroke Week — Stroke Foundation – Australia
Research into Parkinson’s disease over the past decade has shown that early physical intervention and targeted exercise programs slow the disease progression in its early stages. “Neuro physios can prescribe specific neuro-active exercises for patients, which are exercises designed to train the brain to better control the body and ultimately help patients move better and more confidently. Essentially, it gives patients confidence in their movement and therefore a better quality of life.”
Source: Targeted neuro-physiotherapy intervention vital in effective management of Parkinson’s disease
Eyewire is a game to map the brain. Anyone can play and you need no scientific background — hundreds of thousands of people from around the world already do. Together we are mapping the 3D structure of neurons and advancing our quest to understand ourselves.
Specialist physiotherapy treatment is vital for optimal post-stroke recovery, with new research data showing early and frequent mobilisation – including sitting out of bed, standing and walking – significantly improves functional outcomes for stroke survivors.
Source: World Physiotherapy Day highlights the role of physio in stroke recovery – HealthTimes
The last five years has seen the treatment landscape completely transformed, according to MS Research Australia CEO, Dr Matthew Miles.
“More than 8 new treatments have been introduced including oral medications and infusions that can be given very infrequently – monthly, 6 monthly or even more than a year apart, depending on the medication,” says Dr Miles. “Many of these treatments are also highly effective in suppressing the relapses and stopping lesions from forming in the brain.” This means that most people with relapsing multiple sclerosis can find an effective medication that is suited to their own clinical and personal circumstances.
Source: Research changing the lives of those with MS – HealthTimes
Numerous studies have shown that physical exercise seems beneficial in the prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia in old age. Now researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt have explored in one of the first studies worldwide how exercise affects brain metabolism.
Source: How physical exercise prevents dementia — ScienceDaily
Intereach, in partnership with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), is gearing up to meet demand for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the Loddon area of Victoria. By 2020, the NDIS is expected to provide support to about 5300 people with disability in the Loddon area –a 33 per cent increase in the number of people currently receiving support.
Structured exercise training can significantly improve brain function in stroke survivors, a new study shows. Researchers found that structured physical activity training significantly improved cognitive deficits among stroke survivors regardless of the length of the rehabilitation program.
Source: Exercise can significantly improve brain function after stroke
Virtual Reality (VR) can relieve the sensation of phantom limb pain, report researchers. A new test shows that VR technology can trick the amputee’s brain into thinking that it is still in control of a missing limb. The method has proven effective in a number of amputees and is the foundation for a new method that has been developed by Bo Geng in collaboration with Dr. Martin Kraus and Master’s students Bartal Henriksen and Ronni Nedergaard Nielsen from Medialogy at Aalborg University.
Source: Virtual reality eases phantom limb pain — ScienceDaily