Overview
Parkinson’s disease is a very common illness that leads to a progressive decline in motor abilities and speech skills. Elderly adults are the most vulnerable group to this disease, which could render them unable to take care of themselves.
Sadly, untreated Parkinson’s disease causes more function loss and disability.
In this article, we will briefly cover the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and then detail the benefits of physiotherapy.
Signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
The vast majority of Parkinson’s disease cases start subtly. This causes a delay in diagnosis.
Initially, you may experience slight tremors, stiffness, or a gait. Additionally, disruptions of facial expressions, speech, and tone of voice may occur.
Over time, these subtle symptoms become more severe, causing:
- Imbalance
- Generalized fatigue
- A diminished sense of smell
We should note that the clinical presentation of Parkinson’s disease may be different from one patient to another. This depends on numerous factors, including the rate of degeneration, the age of the patient, and treatment plans.
How to take care of your loved one with Parkinson’s disease
Being a family member to a loved one with Parkinson’s disease has its challenges since this condition often worsens over the years, which leads to an increased reliance on others.
As a result, you will suddenly find yourself responsible for taking care of your family member to help them complete even the basic tasks.
However, do not panic!
Clinics like ProRehab will cover everything there is to know about the common disabilities patients face and how you can intervene to help them with the tasks.
The good news is that ProRehab have management plans which are highly specific to Parkinson’s disease to help your loved ones remain functional.
In some cases, and despite your efforts, you may find yourself in a position where taking care of your loved one is no longer possible. It can be due to your work schedule or the inability to keep up with their demands, which is completely normal.
The best way to confront this problem is by not blaming yourself.
This condition is extremely complex and requires the care of trained professionals that have experience in managing patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Working with a physiotherapist will provide you and your loved one with all the support you need to help you adapt to this condition.
Physiotherapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease
This section will focus on some of the techniques used by physiotherapists to help patients with Parkinson’s disease. The goal of treatment is to restore the independence of patients.
Amplitude Training
This is one of the most famous physiotherapy techniques used to treat patients. It is known as LSVT BIG training, which stands for Lee Silverman Voice Treatment.
Your physiotherapist will encourage you to exaggerate movements, such as swinging your arms and taking high steps. This will help retain the musculoskeletal system and slow down hypokinesia. Another amplitude technique is called LSVT LOUD, which focuses on amplifying patients’ voice tones.
These techniques are quite effective in aiding patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Reciprocal Patterns
Movements that treat Parkinson’s disease describe side-to-side and left-to-right motion patterns. This includes swinging your arms and taking steps as you walk.
The goal of physiotherapy is to reinforce motion patterns, using elliptical machines and recumbent bicycles.
Stretching and Flexibility
One symptom of Parkinson’s disease is tight hip flexors and nearby muscle groups. Frequent stretches can help counteract this stiffness and improve motion/mobility.
Make sure to seek the help of a physiotherapist about the best ways to stretch.
Strength Training
As we age, the muscles naturally grow weaker. Strength training is absolutely crucial for everyone. However, researchers specified that Parkinson’s disease causes severe weakness.
Physiotherapists help patients by determining the stage of their disease first. Once done, your therapist may recommend using light dumbbells, resistance bands, or pool-based classes.
Balance Work
Because balance requires the normal function of several systems, it can be quite challenging to maintain. Some systems involved here include the vestibular system, visual feedback, and proprioception.
Coordination is one of the first things that go haywire in Parkinson’s disease. The neurons responsible for coordination simply get damaged. This leads to the classic gait associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
Practicing exercises that specifically target balance can help patients restore their confidence and start walking again in public.
Without physiotherapy, this is not possible.
How often should a person visit a physical therapist?
Each patient may need a different number of physiotherapy sessions. Typically, the duration of the sessions lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. This may vary depending on the availability of the facility and your specific requirements.
When first starting, your physiotherapist will assess your needs and create a personalized exercise plan. A therapist will also provide you with at-home exercises and schedule the next physiotherapy sessions.
The European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA) advises patients to train at least 150 minutes every week. Optimally, patients should break this time into 10 sessions of 15 minutes each.
What other services do physiotherapists offer?
According to the World Confederation for Physiotherapy, a physiotherapist can help patients with interventions and treatments.
Besides these services, a therapist can:
- Provide patients with a diagnosis and prognosis
- Assess the outcome of certain clinical intervention
- Evaluate a patient’s movement and flexibility to determine a baseline
- Set short and long-term goals
- Refer the patient to healthcare professionals
- Give patients tips about self-management to deal with their restrictions
Takeaway message
Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating disease that causes many problems for patients and their families. This is why physiotherapy should be initiated early on to prevent complications and help restore functions.
We hope that this article managed to highlight the potential uses of physiotherapy in the management of Parkinson’s disease.
If you want to learn about the specifics of physiotherapy for Parkinson’s disease, you can reach out to us via WhatsApp for a private conversation or you can also go to www.prorehab.sg for more information.
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