Coping with Parkinson’s Disease: The Support of Physiotherapy
Carol first started showing signs of Parkinson’s disease when she was 65. Five years later, those early mild tremors had become more severe, and Carol had developed the classic stooped gait and shuffling walk associated with the condition. It was much harder for her to leave the house, and so coping with Parkinson’s disease had become more difficult as well.
Carol, like many Parkinson’s patients, was worried about falling, especially since she lived alone. Her condition didn’t completely limit her independence yet, but driving was becoming more of a challenge, making it difficult for her to continue the physiotherapy she’d been doing as part of her treatment.
Fortunately, her daughter had a solution: in-home physiotherapy. Carol had no idea physiotherapists could come to her, but the concept worked. She could continue her balance, gait, and strength training just when she needed them most–but without the hassle of bugging friends and family for rides.
Physio for Seniors is designed for people like Carol. No matter where you live in Metro Vancouver, BC, we’re here to help.
Furthermore, Parkinson’s disease is one of the conditions we treat the most. In particular, we focus on gait and balance training to help you reduce your fall risk and retain your mobility and independence, even as you move into the mid and later stages of the condition.
Keep reading to learn more about our role in coping with Parkinson’s disease–or schedule an at-home consultation!
How Parkinson’s Disease Affects Your Mobility
Parkinson’s disease is primarily a motor (movement) disease and, over time, can dramatically impact your independence and mobility due to its progressive nature. Experts divide Parkinson’s disease into five stages:
- Stage One: Symptoms include mild tremors and muscle stiffness, typically on only one side of the body, as well as changes to posture and gait. These symptoms generally won’t interfere with day-to-day life.
- Stage Two: The mild Stage One symptoms worsen and begin affecting the entire body. Posture may worsen, and walking may become more difficult. You’ll likely remain independent but will find daily tasks take a bit more effort.
- Stage Three: Midway through the condition’s progression, you can expect balancing to be a much greater struggle, and you’ll be at higher risk for falls. Other motor symptoms will worsen as well. At this stage, you’ll likely struggle with day-to-day activities and begin experiencing mild disability.
- Stage Four: By Stage Four, all symptoms are fully developed. You may need to use a cane or walk to move around safely, and you can no longer live alone, as you’ll need significant help with day-to-day activities.
- Stage Five: The final and most advanced stage is also the most debilitating. You will no longer be able to walk unaided, and you’ll require round-the-clock care.
While the prospect of advanced Parkinson’s is frightening, targeted exercise and physiotherapy may help delay the onset. And for people at Stage Three and Four, dedicated gait and balance training may help reduce your fall risk–and thus reduce the risk of injury or hospitalization.
And with at-home physiotherapy, you won’t have to leave your house to reap the benefits, either!
Physiotherapy Techniques for Coping with Parkinson’s Disease
The primary way the Physio for Seniors physiotherapists will help you manage Parkinson’s is through a customized exercise program that addresses your particular impairments and limitations. Depending on your symptoms and the stage you’re at, we may include the following:
- Aerobic exercise: Hopefully, you began a regular exercise program when you first received your diagnosis, as aerobic exercise helps slow the decline of your motor skills. We’ll help you adapt your exercise program to suit your current ability levels.
- Resistance training: The same is true for strength training. Furthermore, improved strength can help improve your balance and posture.
- Balance training: Besides more general exercises, we’ll show you dedicated balance exercises to help keep you on your feet. Standing balance, walking exercises, and agility training can all help.
- Gait training: Parkinson’s profoundly affects your natural walking patterns, which further adds to your fall risk. We’ll walk you through specialized exercises designed to address how Parkinson’s disease affects your walking ability.
- Task-specific training: As your condition progresses, you’ll find that once-familiar activities will become more challenging. We’ll help you “train” in these activities so you can maintain your independence for longer.
And remember: you’ll perform all of these exercises and training in the comfort of your own home. This also allows us to provide strategies and modifications customized to your abilities and your home environment. For example, we can help you clear your home of tripping hazards or suggest room modifications to keep you safe.
What to Expect During Your At-Home Sessions
The first time one of the Physio for Seniors physiotherapists visits you, they’ll conduct a thorough evaluation to help us better understand your needs and goals. We’ll review your health history and work with other care team members to help us understand your strengths and limitations. We’ll also discuss the areas you’d most like to focus on.
You can also expect a comprehensive physical evaluation that gives us a complete picture of your impairments. We’ll run safe, simple movement screens testing your balance, walking ability, strength, mobility, fitness, and overall functionality to help us better customize your treatment.
At subsequent sessions, we’ll guide you through your personalized care plan, including demonstrating exercises, ensuring you do them properly, and tracking your progress. We’ll work around your schedule and provide everything you need–all you need to do is wear comfortable clothes and answer the door when we ring the doorbell!
Coping with Parkinson’s Disease? We’re Here to Help
As Parkinson’s disease progresses, keeping up with physiotherapy and generalized exercise can become more challenging–but that’s also when you most want to continue it! At-home physiotherapy with Physio for Seniors makes maintaining therapy much easier for people in the mid to later stages of Parkinson’s disease.
If coping with Parkinson’s disease is proving to be a struggle, consider our Metro Vancouver, BC-based physiotherapy services. Schedule an appointment today to learn more!