Goulburn Valley Health’s Shepparton Parinson’s Conference is running for its seventh year, and GV Health’s divisional clinical director of medicine Arup Bhattacharya has been involved in organising each one.
Dr Bhattacharya said one of the most common misconceptions about Parkinson’s, is that people think of it as a “death sentence”.
“People still think of Parkinson's as a really devastating disease, but Parkinson's treatments and management have evolved immensely in the last 20 years,” he said.
“Just because you've got the diagnosis, you shouldn’t give up and think the future is bleak and you’ve got nothing to look forward to, because it’s not like that.
“It's important for people to realise that they can still live a healthy and a good quality of life with Parkinson's for many years.”
Guest speakers from all around the country, including Western Australia and Tasmania, are travelling to Shepparton for the conference.
Two of the guest speakers have Parkinson’s themselves, giving attendees the unique experience of hearing the patient and doctor perspective simultaneously.
Dr Bhattacharya said the conference won’t all be about medicine, but will also take a “holistic” approach by looking at how patients can use exercise, diet and other techniques to help manage their disease.
“We've got a mix and match of talks which will hopefully cater to all parts of the audience,” he said.
“We’ve got a person coming who demonstrates how dancing can help manage Parkinson’s, which patients can practice at home. She’s been here before and her talks have been very well received.
“We also have a yoga teacher coming this year, and she's going to give a live session on some of the yoga techniques that patients can find useful.”
Dr Bhattacharya hopes the conference will only grow bigger and better, and next time would like to include a “powerful” patient-story section.
“I've been approached by some patients who are doing very well, and they want to share their stories,” he said.
Dr Bhattacharya said Parkinson’s is more common than people realise, and people should be aware of symptoms so they can speak to their doctors.
“It’s not only a disease of old age,” he said.
“Nearly 38 to 40 people every day in Australia are being diagnosed with Parkinson's, and nearly a fifth of them are young.
“In Australia, more than 150,000 people are living with Parkinson's.
“It’s increasing in Australia, and people need to attend these sorts of courses or conferences to make themselves aware.”
GV Health’s Shepparton Parkinson’s Conference is on Tuesday, December 3, from 8am to 4.15pm. To purchase a ticket, head to https://tinyurl.com/kej3wnj9
