Blogs and Podcasts About PD

These blogs and podcasts are all about Parkinson's disease (PD).  They are written or recorded by people diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD), PD care partners, PD researchers, or PD organizations.  Some are about living with PD.  And some have a focus such as PD research, humor, or movement.

Pick a few and have a read or a listen.  You may learn something and you will definitely not feel alone in dealing with PD.


Blogs About PD | Podcasts and Vlogs About PD


Blogs About PD

The Crooked Path

Blogger: Corey King, diagnosed with PD at age 47

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: observation of the joys and challenges of life, occasionally focusing on living well in defiance of early-onset Parkinson’s disease.


Defeat Parkinsons

Blogger: Dr. Maria De León, retired movement disorder specialist and person with young onset Parkinson’s (YOPD)

Frequency: Bi-weekly

Topics covered: medication management; dental hygiene; tips for good sleep; treatment of overactive bladder; end-stage Parkinson’s disease; tardive dyskinesia; combating apathy; weight gain after DBS in women; and women’s health and sexuality series.


It is What it is! Living with Parkinsons Disease

Blogger:  Tom Eckhardt, diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 67

Frequency:  Irregular

Topics covered:  Join PD Avengers to End PD, Dr. Mischley's PD School 2020, World PD Day, World PD Congress in Portland, passing of time, and more.


Journal of Parkinson's Disease: Jon Palfreman's Blog

Blogger: Jon Palfreman, PhD, broadcast journalist and author

Frequency: Irregular (2013-2017)

Topics covered: personalized medicine for PD, book reviews, deep brain stimulation, focused ultrasound, placebo effect, cutting edge research into new treatments.


Journey with Parkinson’s

Blogger: Frank Church, professor and researcher in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and person with young onset Parkinson's (YOPD)

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: my public journey and life-steps with Parkinson’s; service and research; milestones in Parkinson’s disease research and discover; MAO-B inhibitors; and the VA “My Parkinson’s Story” video series.


Living Well Today, by The Davis Phinney Foundation

Bloggers: Staff writers and guest authors

Frequency: Once/month

Topics covered: Using a service dog; separating fact from online fiction; tips for more expressive communication; how exercise can ease anxiety in PD.


Living Well with Parkinsons Disease

Blogger:  Sheryl Jedlinski, diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 44

Frequency:  Irregular (2016-2022)

Topics covered:  Thanfulness, second oppinions, taking control, nocturnal leg cramps, keeping calm, putting health and well-being first, Sinemet shortage, saved by my walker, and more.


My Parkinson's Life

Bloggers: Daren, diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 40

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: PD symptoms, sleep, stem cell research, sympathy vs. empathy, alcohol, smoking, caffeine, research interest groups, etc.


Out-thinking Parkinson’s

Blogger: Gary Sharpe, PhD scientist, engineer and person with young onset Parkinson's (YOPD), and Deb Helfrich, author and wellness mentor

Frequency: Monthly

Topics covered: how a dog in the family helped me to understand my Parkinson’s disease; a unified explanation for Parkinson’s disease via the vagus nerve;  and helicobacter pylori bacteria in the gut and Parkinson’s disease; and women’s health and sexuality.series.


Painting Doc

Blogger: Kathleen Kelly Reardon

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: painting how-to for people with Parkinson's and others


Parkie Support

Blogger: Fran Lo, a person with Parkinson's (PWP)

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: how to find a support group, how to find PD-specific exercise classes, support for Parkinsonisms, finding a physical therapist, online support communities, books and online resources for finding out about symptoms and treatments, what the different and various foundations for PD actually do.


Parking Suns, A Life with Parkinson's Disease

Blogger:  Bruce Ballard, diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 59

Frequency:  Irregular

Topics covered:  quality of life, medication schedule, ping-pong for PD, teaching with Zoom, and more!


Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area Blog

Blogger:  Zach Galati

Frequency:  Monthly

Topics covered:  surviving winter, Parkinson's and coronavirus, staying active during a pandemic, being the child of a parent with PD, being a good spouse and care partner, telehealth, exercising at home, common PD misconceptions, PD boxing, hospitalization with PD, and more.


Parkinson Secrets

Blogger:  Michael Okun, MD, and Indra Subramanian, MD

Freguency:  Weekly

Topics covered:  urinary issues, speech therapy, sexual dysfunction, caring for the PD caregiver, PD genetics, mindfulness, music & PD, occupational therapist usefulness, and more!


Parkinson's Article Archive

Blogger: Sarah King, PT, DPT

Frequency:  Irregular (February 2016 - May 2019)

Topics covered: exercise, nutrition, mindset & mood, energy & sleep, surgery & medication


Parkinson's Diva

Blogger:  Maria De León, neurologist (retired), person with Parkinson's

Frequency:  Monthly

Topics covered:  beauty tips for PD, making the most of PD, health and PD, PD Advocacy, fashion tips for women with PD, care partners, Women&PD Initiative, marriage and PD, weight changes in PD, and more!


Parkinson's Humor

Blogger:  YumaBev

Frequency:  Irregular

Topics covered:  telemedicine, anxious toes, soulder pain with PD, painting with PD, personal DBS experiences, and more.


Parkinson’s Journey

Blogger:  Sherri Woodbridge

Frequency:  Irregular

Topics covered:  what are the odds of developing Parkinson’s disease; a slithering snake, a two-year-old, and his granny; poetry; photography; DBS; for the caregivers; a thing about nurses; and non-parkinson’s related writings.


Parkinson's Patient Guide

Blogger: Siddharth Kharkar, MD, neurologist

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: symptoms, diagnosis, parkinson's plus syndromes, slowing progression, medications, non-motor symptoms, deep brain stimulation, cause, latest news and research


Parkinsons Recovery

Blogger: Robert Rogers, PhD

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: natural therapies that are safe and cause no harmful side effects. 


The Parkinson’s Report

Blogger: Hannah Grassie, speech language pathologist (SLP)

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: picking your care team, modifying your day to adapt to PD, how professionals should prepare someone with PD for an assessment, getting involved with the PD community, balancing PD with family life, 5 ways to up your goal writing game, untangling PD medical speak, cognitive changes, young onset PD, dysphagia, clinical tools to stay informed about PD, vocal changes in PD, how to prepare for Dr. visits, apathy, and more.


Parkinson's Research Blog

Blogger: Parkinson's UK

Frequency: Monthly

Topics covered: clinical trials, unmet PD needs of women, supplements and PD, race equality in PD research, annual research highlights, stem cells, pain and PD, understanding sleep, and more.


Parkinson's Today Blog

Blogger: Parkinson's Foundation 

Frequency: Irregular, frequent

Topics covered: PD and coronavirus, research updates,  discussing difficult topics with your doctor, emergency preparedness, tips for living with PD, etc.


Parky Perspective

Blogger:  Eric Slominski

Frequency:  Frequent, but irregular

Topics covered:  Life as this Parky knows it, with the recent addition of Eric's photography and photoshop work, like the Parky Superman (notice the P, rather than an S, on his chest).


ParkyLife

Blogger:  Contributions from the Parkinson’s community

Frequency:  Weekly

Topics covered:  The brightest slices of positivity from across the Parkyverse, including hacks, perks, inspiring people and funny stories.


PD Community Blog

Bloggers:  NWPF bloggers

Frequency:  Monthly

Topics covered:  Living with PD, advocacy, exercise, hope, research, treatment options, young-onset PD, and more.


PD Wise

Bloggers:  Allan Cole and Chris Tracey

Frequency:  Weekly

Topics covered:  Young-onset and general PD issues, including living well, parenting, getting at PD diagnosis, loss and grief, resilience, disclosing a PD diagnosis, advocacy, medical care, DBS, spirituality, professional implications, research and treatment, legal issues, humor, hope, friendship, and more.


The Perky Parkie

Blogger:  Allison Smith, MA, LMFT and person with PD

Frequency:  Monthly

Topics covered:  medications, dietary protein, apathy, getting dressed, grief, etc.  Most presented with humor.


The Quiver

Bloggers: Individual contributors

Editorial staff: Christopher Lion,  Ashley Romberg, and Julie Fitzgerald

Frequency: Frequent (several posts a month)

Topics covered: A assortment of art created by people with Parkinson's, including photography, painting, poetry and other writings, etc. with brief biographies of some of the artists whose works are posted to the blog.


The Science of Parkinson’s Disease

Blogger: Simon Stott, postdoctoral Parkinson’s researcher and president of his Parkinson’s UK support branch

Frequency: Bi-weekly

Topics covered: trying to digest gut research; improving patient education; wearable tech 4 Parkinson’s; stress and Parkinson’s disease; old dogs new tricks, repurposing drugs for Parkinson’s; and milestones in Parkinson’s disease research and discovery.


Shaky Paws Grandpa

Blogger: Kirk Hall, Parkinson's author, advocate, and speaker

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: all subjects of interest to the Parkinson's community, including living with PD, research developments, and more.


A Simple Island Life

Blogger: Kai Rubenstein, person with Parkinson’s

Frequency: Monthly

Topics covered: lower protein meals, losing your sense of smell and taste, selection of recipes and gardening posts, staying connected to your partner, foot stretches and exercises, balance, urinary urgency, getting dressed, exercise, staying positive, learning to fall, participating in clinical trials, tech tools for PD, meditation, and more.  


A Soft Voice in a Noisy World: Dealing and Healing with Parkinson's Disease

Bloggers: Karl Robb, Person with Parkinson's, and Angela Robb, Karl's wife and Parkinson's Care Partner

Frequency: Weekly

Topics covered: gratitude, Parkinson's awareness, tolls and resources, PD during covid, home in transition, etc.


Stanford PD Community Blog

Blogger: Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach Staff

Frequency: Frequent (several posts a month)

Topics covered: upcoming webinars and conferences, webinar and conference notes, shared articles and podcasts about PD from around the web.


Strength in Weakness

Blogger: Jeremy Likness, software developer and person with young onset Parkinson's (YOPD)

Frequency: Irregular

Topics covered: Jeremy's YOPD journey, nutrition, exercise, and PD advocacy.


Tomorrow Edition

Blogger: Benjamin Stecher, diagnosed with PD at age 29

Frequency: Monthly

Topics covered: PD research, genetics, myths of degenerative brain diseases, post-pandemic education, how language creates disease, RNA, and more.


Twitchy Woman

Blogger: Sharon Krischer

Frequency: Monthly

Topics covered: PD boxing packs a punch; exercise can be a boon to people with Parkinson’s disease; 100 (posts) and counting; book reviews and recommendations; World Parkinson’s Conference seminar notes; and exercise and PD.


UnshakeableMD

Blogger: Soania Mathur, MD and person with Young Onset Parkinson's

Frequency: Monthly

Topics covered: Post fall into five categories: quality of life, outlook, relationships, clinical trials and community.


Who Stole My Dopamine

Blogger: Emma, a person with Young Onset Parkinson's

Frequency: Daily 

Topics covered: The everyday challenges faced by a woman with Parkinson’s disease who has a rescue collie, frustrating teenagers, and endless laundry.


Women's Parkinson's Project

Bloggers: Reader submissions

Frequency: Irregular (June 2021-present)

Topics covered: Personal stories from women who have Parkinson's and how they cope with life's daily challenges.


YOPN Blog & Insights

Blogger: Young Onset Parkinson's Network (YOPN) leadership team and guest bloggers

Frequency: Intermittent

Topics covered: YOPN founder Anna Grill's story, who does YOPN support, effect of stress on PD symptoms, difference between PD and YOPD, being a YOPD care partner, travel tips, and more


Podcasts and Vlogs About PD

Ending Parkinson's Disease: Live

Webcasters: Ending Parkinson's Disease authors

Frequency: 16 episodes in 2020

Topics covered: PD caregiving, treatment, prevention, nutrition, integrative medicine, advocating for a cure, pesticides & PD, can drugs induce PD, etc. Some episodes also feature guests, like Brian Grant, Lonnie Ali, Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter Phinney, researchers, and other people with PD


Living well Starts Here

Vloggers: Young Onset Parkinson's Network (YOPN)

Frequency: 17 episodes (February 24, 2022 - present)

Topics covered: Michael Quaglia was diagnosed in 2006 at 42 with YOPD and has co-hosted the "Two Mike's Parkinson's Podcast" since 2016.  In this bi-weekly podcast Michael and friends interview a variety of guests on topics relevant to the Young Onset Parkinson's community. Mike's co-hosts include Mike Achin, Heather Kennedy and others. Unlike most interviews, these discussions are unrehearsed and off the cuff. 


Living with Lewy Body Dementia

Vloggers: Leslie and Jason Weiser

Frequency: 13 episodes (2019 - 2022)

Topics covered: Jason Weiser was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) at age 45 after military service and a head injury.  This series documents his experience trying to continue a full life with LBD and his wife, Leslie's, experience as his care partner.  They discuss symptoms, doctor appointments, decline, grief, getting on with life, and more.


Movers and Shakers

Podcasters:  Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn, and Jeremy Paxman

Frequency:  Weekly (March 2023-present)

Topics covered:  Depression, medications, work, exercise, deep brain stimulation (BDS), coping, young onset PD, possibility of a cure.


On Time: A Parkinson's Podcast, by The Brian Grant Foundation

Podcaster: Season 1 and 2 cohosts Brian Grant, former NBA basketball player, and Heather Kennedy, founder of PD advocacy site Kathleen Kiddo. Season 3 host Soania Mathur, MD and person with YOPD.

Frequency: Six weekly episodes per season (April 2022 to present)

Topics covered: daily living with yound onset Parkinson's, socializing, dating, parenting, and the benefits and challenges of adopting a healthy lifestyle.


Parkinson's Life, by the European Parkinson's Disease Association

Podcaster: Various broadcasters for the European Parkinson's Disease Association

Frequency: Six episodes (originating May 2019)

Topics covered: parenting with PD, caring for a family member with PD, PD and work, PD assessment tools, women and PD, and getting creative with PD.


PD Lemonade

Podcaster:  Kat Hill

Frequency:  Irregular (2021)

Topics covered:  Interviews with caregivers and advocates in the YOPD community, with particular emphasis on women with PD.


Trembling EMT: My Parkinson's Journey

Podcaster: Eric Aquino, EMT, person with young onset Parkinson's, and Founder of the Gray Strong Foundation

Frequency: Irregular (June 2018 - present)

Topics covered: Eric was diagnosed in his 40s with Parkinson’s. He debunks the myth that Parkinson’s is an “old people disease”. Hear candid stories and interviews with people living with Parkinson's, physical therapists and others involved with Moving Forward with Parkinson's.


When Life Gives You Parkinson's, by Parkinson Canada

Podcaster: Larry Gifford, National Director of Talk Radio for Corus Entertainment in Canada.

Frequency: Every other week (Sep. 2018 - June 2020)

Topics covered: a first-hand account of what it is like to live with PD for Gifford, his family, and other members of the worldwide Parkinson’s community. Answering probing questions from co-host Niki Reitmayer and letting listeners eavesdrop in on intimate chats with his wife, Gifford uses humour to diffuse heavy content and give the podcast a hopeful tone. 



Last updated June 2022 by Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach.