What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Your doctor tells you that you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. You have been told it is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. And that over time, your symptoms are going to make your independence with day-to-day tasks far more challenging. This doesn’t mean that you have to deal with these symptoms all by yourself. Nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), with approximately 60,000 Americans diagnosed with PD each year.
You want a way to minimize the pain. You want to maintain your quality of life as long as you can, and medication and surgery are a large part of that, but if you haven’t included physical therapy as a core component of your treatment plan, you are missing out.
Physical Therapy can reduce the burden of several symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, but first what are the core symptoms of PD?
What are the Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?
You have dopaminergic neurons in your substantia nigra, a part of your brain that is essential for controlling your movement. When these cells degrade, they release less dopamine, which leads to the visible motor deficits characteristic of Parkinson’s disease. These characteristic symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease can be remembered with the acronym TRAP.
Tremor – When you experience tremors while moving very little or not at all, you are living with resting tremors. While resting tremors are most common in the hands, you may also experience them in the chin, jaw, and lips.
Rigidity – When you experience increased resistance to your movements this is considered rigidity. While stiff muscles can occur throughout the body, you may also experience pain or a limited range of motion.
Akinesia – When you have slowed movement making it difficult to complete voluntary movements, you are living with akinesia. You may also experience this as slowed reaction times and difficulty completing simultaneous tasks.
Postural instability – When you have difficulty keeping yourself upright, you are dealing with postural instability, which is associated with an increased risk of falling. As Parkinson’s disease progresses, your difficulty walking is interdependent with postural instability, which means that you are at greater risk for falling while walking.
How is Parkinson’s Disease Treated?
As mentioned above, you have probably already included medication and surgery in your treatment for Parkinson’s disease. But not everyone realized that movement as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease shows itself to be very successful for many patients. And the physical therapists at FYZICAL Oklahoma City are well aware of the importance movement plays in improving quality of life and reducing the progression of Parkinson’s Disease for our patients.
The best part about physical therapy in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease is adding a partner to your care team. Our physical therapists know that trying to figure out where to start or how to progress can be extremely difficult and frustrating, but when you get physical therapy treatment for Parkinson’s Disease, you are not alone in that process. Your physical therapist is going to guide you through options for treatment and help you establish goals based on your wants and needs. Your plan of care only becomes personalized when we work with you to establish goals that improve your life. But your physical therapist isn’t just a cheerleader, she is a coach and a motivator, and an expert clinician who will identify your deficits and provide exercises to improve them.
Recent research has shown great impacts on Balance, Gait, Quality of Life, and ease of completing activities of daily living through physical therapy. Specifically, when physical therapy includes virtual reality and treadmill training postural stability is improved, and gait speed and stride length are also improved.
If you’re wanting to get started, but are not ready to seek out a physical therapist, here are 4 areas to begin working on:
Endurance Training - 30 minutes a day 5 days a week
- Starting where you can and slowly build
- Keys to Improve the Quality of Your Walking:
- Take bigger steps and swing your arms
- Focus on good posture and landing on your heels pushing off toes
- Walk faster or to the beat of the music
Strength Training - Focus on each muscle group 2 days a week non-consecutively.
- 2 sets of each exercise for 8-12 reps
- You can use bands, weights, machines, or even your body weight
- Be sure to engage the core and have proper posture and form when performing strengthening exercises.
- Exercise Examples- Bridges, Wall push-ups and Sit to stands
Flexibility - Work on lengthening mm 2-3x per week
- Hold stretches for at least 30 seconds to allow time for tissues to change.
- Remember to breathe during the stretch.
- Flexibility exercises are most effective when the muscle is warm (after exercising).
- Focus on large movements, including full rotations of trunk and arm and leg circles.
Balance - Perform 2-3 days per week for 15 minutes.
- Exercises should be challenge balance and coordination, however, you should be able to be successful.
- Also perform balance exercises in a safe environment.
- You can challenge balance by changing your base of support, surface, and whether eyes or open or closed.
TIPS TO STAY ACTIVE:
- Chose something you enjoy doing so you look forward to the activity and not dread it.
- Try new things so you do not get bored- Tai Chi, yoga, boxing, or dancing
- Joining a group or class or just exercising with a friend will help make the activity more enjoyable and give you accountability.
- Set goals to see progress and encourage yourself. You could use a pedometer to count steps or chart gains with workouts.
If you have questions or are concerned about yourself or a loved one, set up an appointment with a healthcare provider. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City.
-FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City
FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City provides balance rehabilitation and orthopedic physical therapy in Lakeside, The Village, Nichols Hills, and surrounding NW Oklahoma City. Our physical therapists are specially trained to treat all types of pain, movement disorders, and musculoskeletal dysfunction including Parkinson's Disease. Our practitioners take a patient-centered individualized approach that focuses on your health needs. If you are unsure about your balance, or you want to see the FYZICAL Difference for yourself, schedule a free consultation today.
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Originally Published 7/19/2019