Physical Therapy + Alter G Can Help With Parkinson’s Disease

If you or anyone you know has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, this article is a must read.

Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic illness with known progressive qualities, are left with an unknown sense of the future and limited control over the course of the disease. But with proper education, management strategies and physical therapy interventions, patients can influence how they adapt to the disease and learn to maintain function.

It goes over the benefits of physical therapy for these patients as well as the benefits of exercising on an air supported bodyweight treadmill system, such as the Alter G. We have an Alter G treadmill available at SOL Physical Therapy + Performance. If you have any questions or would like more information about how PT and the Altger G can help, give us a call.

Physical Therapist’s Guide to Parkinson Disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common degenerative brain disorder affecting adults. (Alzheimer disease is the most common.) People of all ethnic groups can develop PD, but it occurs less among African American and Asian populations. Parkinson disease was first defined as only a “motor” (movement) disease, but research has shown that it also causes “nonmotor” symptoms (such as lightheadedness when standing up) in other systems of the body. People with PD are at risk of falling and sustaining other injuries due to their movement and balance challenges.

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson disease is related to a loss of nerve cells in the brain that produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine and other brain chemicals are normally in balance and are important for the control of body movements, thought processes, decision making, moods, and other behaviors.

The exact cause of PD is not yet known. Family history, aging, or exposure to certain environmental toxins may contribute to the onset of PD. It is a chronic degenerative disease, which means that it gets worse over time; however, people usually do not die from it.

The severity and symptoms of PD can vary widely. Some people have the disease for 20 to 30 years and experience a slower decline in mobility and thinking over a longer period of time. Others may experience difficulty with physical movements and thought processes within 5 to 10 years, as the disease progresses more rapidly.

Signs and Symptoms

Nonmotor symptoms of PD, such as a decreased sense of smell, sleep problems, and lightheadedness when first standing up, can begin many years before motor (movement) symptoms develop. Motor symptoms of PD, which typically include muscle and joint stiffness (rigidity), shaking (tremors) in the hands and limbs, slowed movement, and balance problems, most often begin at or around age 60. However, early-onset PD can affect people at a younger age.

The motor symptoms of PD can be very mild at first. A common early symptom is a tremor in 1 hand, most often when you are at rest. It might look like you are rolling a pill between your thumb and forefinger. Tremors also can occur in your legs or jaw when you are at rest. Since the tremors are most apparent during rest, they usually go away when moving and typically don’t interfere substantially with daily functions.

As the condition progresses, people with PD may notice other motor symptoms, such as:

Movements that become smaller, possibly resulting in shuffling when walking, arms swinging less when walking or the voice becoming quieter.
Muscle stiffness or rigidity, causing discomfort in the neck, trunk, or shoulders
Pain due to muscle stiffness
Postural instability, resulting in poor balance and a greater risk of falling
Movements that become slower during daily activities such as dressing, showering, or moving in bed
A feeling of the feet being “frozen” to the floor, making it hard to take a first step, or to turn around when walking
Stooped posture
Difficulty speaking at a normal voice level
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty performing tasks that were once easy to do, such as gardening or swinging a tennis racquet or golf club
Difficulty making facial expressions
Difficulty holding and releasing urine (bladder urgency and incontinence)

Nonmotor symptoms might include:

Difficulty paying attention to a task for a long period of time or dividing attention between 2 or more tasks
Fatigue
Lack of motivation
Lightheadedness
Depression
Anxiety
Disturbed sleep

How Is It Diagnosed?

Because there is not one definitive test for PD, it can be difficult to diagnose. A diagnosis is usually made based on a person’s medical history and a neurological examination. If your physical therapist suspects that you have symptoms of PD, you may be referred to a neurologist for further examination.

A diagnosis of PD may be made if a person is found to have:

Slowing of motion and
Tremor when resting, or muscle rigidity
A significant improvement in symptoms when taking a medication to treat PD
Initial symptoms on 1 side of the body only

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Because PD affects each person differently, your physical therapist will partner with you to manage your specific situation—now and as your condition changes. You are not alone!

Following a diagnosis of PD, your physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive evaluation, including tests to examine your posture, strength, flexibility, walking, endurance, balance, coordination, and attention with movement. Based on your test results, your physical therapist will develop an individualized treatment plan to help you stay as active and as independent as possible. Your program will include exercises and techniques to combat the symptoms of PD.

Depending on the nature and severity of your condition, your treatment program may focus on activities and education to help you:

Improve your fitness level, strength, and flexibility
Develop more effective strategies to get in and out of bed, chairs, and cars
Turn over in bed more easily
Stand and turn to change directions more efficiently
Improve the smoothness and coordination of your walking
Improve your ability to perform hand movements
Decrease your risk of falling
Improve your ability to climb and descend stairs and curbs
Perform more than 1 task at a time more efficiently
Participate in activities that are important to you

Some of the medications designed to manage PD symptoms may have an immediate positive effect. For example, movement is typically much easier shortly after you begin taking certain PD medications. Your physical therapist will know how to time treatments, exercise, and activity based on both the schedule and the effects of your medications to get the best results.

Parkinson’s disease can make daily activities seem frustrating and time-consuming. Your physical therapist will become a partner with you and your family to help you combat and manage the symptoms of PD. As your condition changes, your treatment program will be adjusted to help you be as independent and as active as possible.

Some people with PD benefit from using a cane or a walker. Your physical therapist can work with you to determine if any of these devices may be helpful to you. If you need physical assistance to help you with moving in bed or getting out of a chair, your physical therapist can team with you and your family to develop strategies to make moving easier and help prevent injury. In addition, your physical therapist can make suggestions on changes to your home environment to optimize safe and efficient daily function at home.

Can this Injury or Condition be Prevented?

To date, there is no known way to prevent PD. Studies have shown improved walking, balance, strength, flexibility, and fitness in people with PD, who participate in a regular exercise program. However, these studies also indicate that people with PD gradually lose the gains they make when their supervised exercise program ends. It’s important to work with your physical therapist to help develop good long-term exercise habits