Physical Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

Glendale Physical Therapist

My patient came in this week and was feeling that his walking was improving but when he looked at himself in the store windows he noticed he did not look normal.  He was right, his walking looked like marching. He was not swinging his arms past his pockets, he lacked a nice push off from his toes, there was little to no rotation in his hips, and although his gaze was forward it was not engaged. These are signs, and symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, and there is something that can be done to help this terrible disease, and that is physical therapy. Not only do we have advanced therapists who specialize in helping those with Parkinson’s disease, but we also want to provide tips for those who suffer from it here on our blog as well!

Let’s talk about Engagement…

This engagement of gaze is key.  When you are walking we normally look around at our surrounding, surveying either with just our eyes or with our eyes and our head moving.  Take in what you see. Connect with you environment, with the people around you, with the loved one next to you.  Today take 5 minutes to practice walking with bigger steps, and most importantly with engagement.  Practice looking from side to side, saying hello to people or pets while maintaining a high effort pace.  And don’t forget to SMILE!

If you know anyone who is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, please contact us and let’s schedule them a visit, it will help them, tremendously!