The Guide to Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis (Mostly) Palouse-Area Resources is now available, online, as a PDF or a hard copy. The guide was created by DAC’s Public Healthcare Advocate Barbara Merchant when she observed that, unlike bigger cities like Spokane or Seattle, the Palouse had minimal resources for people with MS or Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Palouse does have some specialty resources, such as physical therapists who specialize in MS or PD, but not many people knew where to find them.
Merchant tracked them down, then verified them before putting them in the guide.
The Pacific Northwest has high rates of MS and PD, so the guide meets a unique need. The high rates of Parkinson’s and MS on the Palouse are likely linked to a combination of environmental factors and genetics, with agricultural pesticides and other environmental contamination suspected for Parkinson’s, and factors like genetics, reduced sunlight/vitamin D, and viral infections being researched for MS. The Palouse region is particularly noted as an MS hot spot. Its agricultural history and rural characteristics make it a focus for studies on environmental links to these neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers are aware that it increases the further away from the equator you live. And it affects more women than men, especially those of northern European heritage.
There is a stigma about both MS and Parkinson’s Disease, and people can be judged incorrectly sometimes.
There’s been a positive response to the guide, both from people with MS and PD, and MS and PD specialists.
To get a PDF copy, go here. To get a hard copy, drop by the Moscow DAC office at 505 N. Main St, Moscow. Or you can email info@dacnw.org and request and e-copy sent to you.