What Is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that influences dopamine production, a chemical messenger responsible for transforming messages across the brain. Parkinson's disease predominantly affects motor function with signs like rigidity, tremor, movement restriction, and walking impairment. With time, the disease worsens and eventually affects the non-motor function, resulting in behavioral and cognitive problems.
People with Parkinson's Disease (PD) are frequently administered physiotherapy as a kind of treatment. Conventional kinds of physiotherapy have been widely researched while new methods are being created and tested.
How Does Physiotherapy Intervention Work for Parkinson's Disease?
The person with Parkinson's disease has challenges and adversities with flexibility, balance, posture, and mobility that conceivably benefit the stimulation of motor function in terms of physiotherapy. In addition, they get through simple primary stages based on the progression and symptoms. Therefore, the physiotherapy element plays the role appropriately and effectively for each stage.
1. Early Stage: The person at the early stage of Parkinson's disease has mild symptoms influencing daily functions. In addition, the person takes a longer span to accomplish the tasks. Physiotherapy at the early stage prevents their inactivity by pushing their physical ability up. The therapist will aid in a tailored exercise program for muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and joint mobility, which are the primary concerns of this stage.
2.Mid-Stage: It is when Parkinson's disease worsens, impairing daily tasks like brushing, feeding, and dressing. In addition, the person tends to lose their balance with more falls, yet requires a hand for walking (gait). So, the therapist will assist in improving upper limb functions like raising and grasping. Subsequently, various hand exercises and cognitive movement strategies enhance posture, gait, balance, and transfers. For instance, the person learns with manual deftness like feeding themselves. In another way, cognitive strategies help with gait and freezing, where the complex movement is split into several simpler movements.
3. Late Stage: The person is helpless, sustaining the last advanced stage of Parkinson's disease. Yet, the person demands nursing care and a helping hand with living. So, physiotherapy plays a role in preventing the consequences like bed sores from being confined and immobilized.
For Caretakers:
As this stage requires caregivers for complete support, the therapist guides them in caring with positioning and lifting intended to avoid injuries. In addition, the therapist ensures the caregivers with appropriate posture and views for the person's independence.
What Are the Aims of Physiotherapy Intervention in Parkinson's Disease?
The aims of physiotherapy intervention in Parkinson's disease:
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Education about Parkinson's disease to the person, caregivers, and family members.
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Maintenance and improvement of the function and thus their independence eventually improve the quality of life.
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Utilization of physiotherapeutic exercise and movement strategies to enhance mobility.
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Amend and enhance those abnormal postures and movement patterns wherever feasible.
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Effectively maximize muscle tone, muscle integrity, and joint flexibility.
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Maintenance of sound breathing patterns.
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Enhancing posture and balance while minimizing the risk of falls.
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Enforce drug therapy.
What Are the Physiotherapy Techniques in the Management of Parkinson's Disease?
The physiotherapy approach is aimed toward a range of reinforcement and rehabilitation concerning individual issues. Physiotherapy exercises for Parkinson's disease include the following techniques.
Amplitude Training: The person with Parkinson's is guided by amplitude training primarily. Lee Silverman voice treatment (LSVT) is a specific physiotherapeutic approach for Parkinson's disease.
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LSVT BIG is therapy for the amplitude of movement, where exaggerated or amplified high movements are practiced. It is a training of restoration and retraining of the muscles while diminishing the compass of hypokinesia (diminished movement). The activities include arm swings and high steps. The BIG in the technique relies on sitting in a BIG posture, starting BIG, ending BIG, and reaching BIG.
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LSVT LOUD is a therapy for the amplification of voice. The loudness is addressed and trained to improve intonation, voice quality, and overall articulation.
Reciprocal Movements: Reciprocal patterns of movements are known for swinging the arms while walking, either back and forth or side to side, as Parkinson's disease predominantly affects the gait and the hand movements associated with walking. In addition to regular walking, they employ other equipment, such as the following:
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A recumbent bicycle is a stationary bicycle that can be reclined.
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The elliptical machine is walking equipment that utilizes both arms and legs.
Balance Activities: Balance is addressed between visual perception, orientation, and overall feelings. In simpler words, it is a team play on what one sees, hears, and how one senses the things beneath them, which has been lost in people with Parkinson's disease; thus, gait is influenced. Exercises are tailored for individuals based on their gait to enhance balance and compensation.
Strength Training Exercises: Strength gets alleviated among elders, yet muscle weakness is typical among people with Parkinson's disease. So, resistance exercises are taught based on the level of severity. The resistance exercises include working with resistance bands and dumbbells. Individuals have the option to make purchases for the dumbbells.
Pool Therapy: The buoyancy of water is utilized for the therapy. First, the person is asked to walk in the pool with the therapist or caretakers. So, the viscosity of water defies the movement, resulting in muscle mass and strength reinforcement.
Stretches and Flexibility Exercises: Stretches will contribute to the effects like stretching the tightened muscles and reducing joint pain. In addition, stretching and flexibility will aid in stiffness, as Parkinson's people are more likely to develop hamstring, tight hip flexor, and calf muscles.
What Are the Benefits of Physiotherapy Over Parkinson's Disease?
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It improves balance and posture.
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Pain relief.
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Help stay independent.
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Strength and flexibility enhancement.
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It helps manage freezing gait.
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Improvement of mobility.
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Management of stiffness and rigidity.
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Reduce the risk of falls.
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Support and education.
Conclusion:
Physiotherapy has a significant play in the management of Parkinson's disease. So, it helps people with Parkinson's disease improve balance, mobility, functions, and overall quality of life. The physiotherapeutic techniques for Parkinson's disease include exercise programs, gait training, range of motion exercises, flexibility training, posture alignment, functional training, and education. It is essential to consult a qualified physiotherapist specialized in treating Parkinson's disease to get a tailored treatment plan according to the needs and the stage of the condition.
