Parkinsons Wellness Recovery

Parkinson's Disease

Also called: Paralysis agitans, Shaking palsy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and in the majority of cases, its cause remains unknown.

Hypokinesia and bradykinesia as movement deficits of Parkinson disease are thought to be mediated by both basal ganglia dysfunction and a loss of muscle mass and strength commensurate with aging and decreased levels of physical activity.

Parkinson's is different for everyone.

Rehabilitation and exercise research

• Strengthen extensors and core musculature
• Increase body awareness (mental imagery, augment tactile and proprioception stimulation)
• Trunk mobility stretching (active and hold; whole body anterior or posterior chain stretches)
• Postural education (avoid asymmetry, enhance alignment, posture techniques in sitting andstanding at a wall and lying down, axial taping)
• Practice mindful good posture during everyday movements
• Respiratory coordination training
• Mental imagery (self-cue)
• Raised walking devices
• Anterior spinal hyperflexion brace to
• Low-slung backpack with weights

To make things easy, we have PWR!Moves

What are the PWR!Moves?

PWR!Moves are the core of our PD-specific functional exercise and physical therapy programs. The Basic 4 PWR!Moves are designed to each target a skill known to deteriorate in people with Parkinson disease, which often lead to loss of mobility and function. The PWR!Moves can be practiced in multiple positions, made progressively more physically and cognitively challenging, and be used differently to target each person’s unique symptoms individually. 

PWR!Moves help you mitigate symptoms and rebuild functionality, no matter how you incorporate them into your life.  They're beneficial in stand-alone group exercise classes, integrated into your daily activities and routines (such as activities of daily living, recreation, sports, and hobbies), in physical and exercise therapy settings.

• Are you looking for somebody who understands Parkinson’s?
• Would you like to have a specialist who can help you navigate the tricky waters of living with a chronic disease?
• Do you want a place where you can feel at home, and not judged for having Parkinson’s?
• Do you want to receive exercise and physical therapy treatments that work, that will help you to feel better because the research supports the activities that you do?
• Are you tired of scouring the Internet for exercises that work for you?
• Do you want exercises that will help you to reduce your freezing, or your tremor, or help you to walk without being stiff?

Since 2006, several longitudinal studies have assessed environmental or behavioral factors that seem to modify the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Increased risk of Parkinson's disease has been associated with exposure to pesticides, consumption of dairy products, history of melanoma, and traumatic brain injury, whereas a reduced risk has been reported in association with smoking, caffeine consumption, higher serum urate concentrations, physical activity, and use of ibuprofen and other common medications. Randomized trials are investigating the possibility that some of the negative risk factors might be neuroprotective and thus beneficial in individuals with early Parkinson's disease, particularly with respect to smoking (nicotine), caffeine, and urate. In the future, it might be possible to identify Parkinson's disease in its prodromal phase and to promote neuroprotective interventions before the onset of motor symptoms. At this time, however, the only intervention that seems justifiable for the primary prevention of Parkinson's disease is the promotion of physical activity, which is likely to be beneficial for the prevention of several chronic diseases.