Hello,
Since I get these too and there was some interest expressed, I searched
the Worldwide Web Sites listed below and came up with the article below,
which I edited down somewhat.
Rich Morelli
[log in to unmask]
http://www.rio.com/~jskaye/pd/index.html
http://neuro-chief-e.mgh.harvard.edu/parkinsonsweb/Main/pdmain.html
http://neuro-chief-e.mgh.harvard.edu/parkinsonsweb/Main/Other/More2.html
Parkinson's Disease: Treating Foot Cramps
Reprinted from Medical Sciences Bulletin published by Pharmaceutical
Information Associates, Ltd.
Aching and cramping of the feet are common complaints, often occurring
after injury (strains and sprains) or excessive exercise, or in association
with arthritis or poor circulation in the legs. In Parkinson's disease
(PD), cramping of the feet is also very common, but the cause is central
rather than peripheral. Foot cramping is just one of several focal
dystonias -- abnormal, sustained tightening of muscles -- that appear to be
due to neurochemical abnormalities in the basal ganglia, that part of the
brain involved in PD. Patients show a particular type of cramping
characterized by downward clenching of the toes or inward turning of the
foot. Cramping can occur throughout the day or night, and can be especially
annoying when it interferes with sleep. Foot cramping is more common among
those individuals whose PD affects just one side of the body.
(SECTION DELETED HERE)
A careful evaluation of the temporal relationship between foot cramping and
the levodopa dosage schedule should help the physician decide how best to
treat this uncomfortable manifestation of PD. Modifying the levodopa
regimen or adding other anti-PD agents can alter signals from the brain
that trigger the contractions, or the muscle itself can be "paralyzed" with
botulinum toxin. (LeWitt PA. UPF Newsl. 1993; #3: 3-4).
begin 600 WINMAIL.DAT
M>)\^(B0#`0:0" `$```````!``$``0>0!@`(````Y 0```````#H``$-@ 0`
M`@````(``@`!!) &`$P!```!````# ````,``# "````"P`/#@`````"`?\/
M`0```&\`````````M3O"P"QW$!JAO @`*RI6PA4```!R7(&EXN'.$;Q^1$53
M5 ``9((```````"!*Q^DOJ,0&9UN`-T!#U0"`````%!$($QI<W0`4TU44 !P
M87)K:6YS;D!L:7-T<V5R=BYU=&]R;VYT;RYC80``'@`", $````%````4TU4
M4 `````>``,P`0```!X```!P87)K:6YS;D!L:7-T<V5R=BYU=&]R;VYT;RYC
M80````,`%0P!`````P#^#P8````>``$P`0````H````G4$0@3&ES="<````"
M`0LP`0```",```!33510.E!!4DM)3E-.0$Q)4U1315)6+E543U)/3E1/+D-!
M```#```Y``````L`0#H!`````@'V#P$````$`````````N1"`0B !P`8````
M25!-+DUI8W)O<V]F="!-86EL+DYO=&4`,0@!!( !`"$```!);F9O+B!O;B!F
M;V]T(&-R86UP<R F('=E8B!S:71E<P`A"P$%@ ,`#@```,P'! `>`!<`"P`-
M``(`)@$!(( #``X```#,!P0`'@`7``0`-@`"`$@!`0F `0`A````0T9#1D8R
M,#A$.$$R0T8Q,4)#-T4T-#0U-3,U-# P,# `+P<!`Y &`'@'```2````"P`C
M```````#`"8```````L`*0```````P`V``````! `#D`(*56V@LWNP$>`' `
M`0```"$```!);F9O+B!O;B!F;V]T(&-R86UP<R F('=E8B!S:71E<P`````"
M`7$``0```!8````!NS<+VB0(\L_7HM@1S[Q^1$535 `````>`!X,`0````4`
M``!33510`````!X`'PP!````%@```')M;W)E;&QI0'!A;VYL:6YE+F-O;0``
M``,`!A"MD3(0`P`'$!(&```>``@0`0```&4```!(14Q,3RQ324Y#14E'1514
M2$53151/3T%.1%1(15)%5T%34T]-14E.5$5215-415A04D534T5$+$E314%2
M0TA%1%1(15=/4DQ$5TE$15=%0E-)5$533$E35$5$0D5,3U=!3D1#``````(!
M"1 !````\04``.T%``#3" ``3%I&=5*U>ZO_``H!#P(5`J@%ZP*#`% "\@D"
M`&-H"L!S970R-P8`!L,"@S(#Q0(`<')"<1'B<W1E;0*#,W<"Y <3`H,T`N0'
M;0*#-?L2S!3%?0J ",\)V0* "H&##;$+8&YG,3 S%%"'"PH580OQ($AE;!C@
M%BP*A1UA4PN 8V4@B$D@9Q' ('1H!Y"A'>!T;V\@`'!D'E+1&5 @=V$$(',#
M<!W@CPN $] 94!/ (&5X$U#S!Y 1L&0L'?$1L K $7"3"8 >4B!7!;!L9 /P
M<PVP(E!E8AV1$] $(&S7! `3T!\@8ARP;P?@'P)D8V$@`75P'Y C4&C#(A,*
MP'1I8VP=X"03^2%0=V@E\"5@'@`)@"-1/1\@9"1 `Z ?XB:P8736+AU@'0=2
M)M)-!; <L>II"H52*85 "K "(".@:&YE+@6@;0J%*[QH00) <#HO+W<M<"X%
M!1!O*W(O?FIS:X!A>64O<&0O"X#)#;!X+BT`;6PLG"M0F0AP;RT1< B09BTK
M8%AM9V@O, K =@L1+NT)@'4NH K :PN '^ `@/)W(Q O30MQ+J$`P N [R\_
M,$\Q7S)O3Q]",Q ID58R,]HY'% V]B<$($3W! `AH!&P.A7 &5 H4 N F&<@
M1A[0!4!#<B3 Y'!S.1Q291-0(#(?()\#4@70)S$DL ,@4V,(D',=P00@0G4<
MP!' "X @G'!U`F $`"'B8GDZ4)\1@0#!-1 EX3\126X"$-]!827@`B 4L 00
M;S]0*%"S!Y A4$QT-H Y'$$U84\\$21S/*(\`F]F(A-F_PG@!4 *P!W@*X$$
M8 .@*X%]"U-T0W%&`!/0`Z!#$&._"' ^`4412$$%P N :@APO4$0*!/ /* R
M@1[S<Q-0?4I"*47P!< @P#^1`)!V_QW@(, $D#]0$;!($4ER'O#O0O5"HB4S
M)<%H!1 EX 0@_06Q<![0!< _4"' /^!"A.= ,2(B)A!G<RAP0B Z6\<G0#M#
M2?!01"DA4$5_[T:"3K$'0!_@($P`2=%'!-TA4&)!L"(3)+!U'I%.L?\=T (P
M/* #(#R@'T(>40.1^G &<7 ?40= *' \0U+'_TZQ2; @D0(@'>!&`1&P5)'W
M/Q$"$#\"9!.Q`B ', 0@I"TM'O!B;D)2;"%0[G-9D0MQ(?)I-?!(447%OFU6
M`"8!6Z-784:A<%>P_PK!'L D`2>0"E!?<C4#(=&^;3[S6_9.D0>14"5B'[#M
M/Q%G&O$CH&$A4%[#"K';6;%&%&)*,B A=@;P3 #_'R! ,5)P*' Z8&'!1^$?
MT+YH)$)CLR7P3Z%707E7L)]%\E+'$7(`T"!1:7I U/\GHA^@"R DH"80'<!$
MXT8%[Q[ !Y%,TVGS= AP799&,_\\42AP/)-H8P.12),>40-@[G4U\ A@581D
M+G!+4@,`_UU1(5 D= .@7[$'D%>P0R'O',!!$ !P7!!Y/ (FL$AAWR-0("1&
M<"!Q)21S)A ]X/]87P0@!&!&V"3 `B \(!Y@WF]6$A\02_ BP'5402:A_W;"
M4G!)(49P:/!9:0"0(M$;9!8$<'DH<#D<*%-%($-424]..Q!%3 A%5$5X,$A%
M4D7N*4/M)*$94&8_X""P-E#_"D!"A&KF$^!/$%:S'+!"@_= L 4@) %T,N!(
M86TR4KC_'P50@64`)Z *L">18J >(/\?T"'2/^!Y06\A(I L\!RP_R40(B)7
M\!.P)? ', .@!8'_(L)F@B00()%?@[log in to unmask]]$>4?U.L74=P -P0D$!D281`X&_
M!I @@7Z79:(I@"= 9G(S.X)K&5!G!W%(<07 863?)T!%TE<3`' EX"UX(AX@
MGV8R;B('0$E2`)!G;G>"_SYS9$A>PTH@74 >(%="1N+_5I)H\(!"3+,B(EX4
M<L$1L+9L9_%PY"(*L0= >6E!7B(E) ;@;$ K,76/$6_&>#.Q2?!,95<C4 5
MQ%!!*'!54$8'LG0``2AP,3DY,SL@(\(S.Y S+30I>F<+1ED7$C(T*)88<0":
M( ````,`$! ``````P`1$ $```! ``<P0#G?^ HWNP% ``@P0#G?^ HWNP$>
1`#T``0````$`````````L5L`
`
end
