Parkinson’s Disease
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s (PD) is a nervous system disorder that gets progressively worse over time. The signs and symptoms vary some from person to person, just like most conditions, and they may appear in a different order. Usually, the first thing someone with Parkinson’s notices is a hand tremor, which is often followed by difficulty forming facial expressions, speech difficulties, and movements that become stiff or slow. Someone with PD may have muscles that feel rigid, difficulty with their balance and posture, loss of automatic movements (like blinking or swinging their arms when walking), and difficulty writing. Many individuals with this condition have a notable shuffled walk. Parkinson’s disease is most often caused by a few specific genes but exposure to certain toxins can also increase someone’s risk of developing PD.
Photo by Kampus Production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-personal-trainer-helping-an-elderly-man-stretch-his-body-6922187/
How does physical therapy help?
Physical therapy goals for people with PD tend to focus on maintaining or improving their functional movement, especially when it comes to fall prevention. This can include using a wide variety of exercises to improve cardiopulmonary endurance, strength, flexibility, and coordination. A physical therapist can also recommend modifications to physical activities that make completing every day self-care tasks easier and safer. A PT may also provide patients with information about community resources, educate family members and caregivers on safe body mechanics for caring someone with PD, or perform an evaluation of the patient’s home to make sure it’s set up as safely as possible.
If you or someone you know is interested in PT for PD, any physical therapist should be prepared to help you with the basics. Physical therapists who have experience treating individuals with Parkinson’s and neurological disorders likely have additional knowledge and skills they can use. PTs who are board-certified, specialized, have completed residency, or have completed fellowship should also be well-equipped to help.
Have you ever worked with someone who had Parkinson’s?
I have not yet had the privilege to help people with PD improve their quality of life but I’m looking forward to changing this in the future! One of the professors in my program actually runs a group that focuses on preventing falls for people with PD in our community. I was interested in being involved with this outreach but it’s not something I can fit into my schedule right now without dropping the ball on my other responsibilities. I’ll definitely be flagging down some of my classmates for a chat after they’ve had a chance to participate in it, though!
If you would like to know more about Parkinson’s disease and how physical therapists can help, I recommend checking out these sites:
Mayo Clinic - Parkinson's Disease
