Parkinson’s disease can significantly affect your quality of life. With common symptoms, including muscle rigidity and gait issues, performing everyday activities may become difficult. Luckily, with the help of physical therapy in Greenlawn, your mobility can be improved so you can continue to enjoy your regular activities. At Island Sports Physical Therapy, we can help you strengthen your muscles and improve your balance. 

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder. Parkinson’s occurs when nerve cells that control movement and produce dopamine become impaired. Symptoms of Parkinson’s include:

• Tremors in the hands, arms, or legs
• Stiff limbs
• Movement becomes slowed
• Impaired balance

At the beginning stages of Parkinson’s disease, symptoms are typically mild, but they tend to worsen over time. 

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s symptoms can be broken down into five stages. The five stages are:

• Stage One: You may experience tremors on one side of the body. They do not interfere with your daily life and activities.
• Stage Two: Symptoms may begin to affect both sides of the body. You may experience additional symptoms such as muscle stiffness, changes in facial expressions, and trembling. Your symptoms may hinder your daily activities slightly, but complete independence is still possible.
• Stage Three: You’re unlikely to gain new symptoms at this stage, but the symptoms you already have become more noticeable. Your movement will become even more sluggish, and balance issues become more prevalent than before. There is an increased risk of falling at this stage. Physical therapy in Greenlawn can help you handle these symptoms so you can maintain your independence. 
• Stage Four: At this stage, it will become difficult to stand or walk without an assistive device or walker. Reactions and muscle movements slow significantly. Assistance at home with daily tasks becomes necessary as living alone becomes increasingly more dangerous.
• Stage Five: Stage five is the most severe stage of Parkinson’s disease. Around-the-clock care becomes a necessity. At this point, it will be extremely challenging – if not impossible – to stand, so a wheelchair may be needed to help you get around. Additional symptoms may occur, such as confusion and hallucinations. 

At this time, nobody knows what causes the nerve cells to become impaired, and there is currently no cure. However, there are ways to help slow the progress of the disease in the early to middle stages. Your doctor may prescribe you medicine to help curb symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Research has found physical therapy to be highly effective in treating Parkinson’s by creating exercise routines aimed at common areas affected by the disease. 

Who Gets Parkinson’s Disease?

Nobody knows why Parkinson’s disease occurs. Research is still ongoing to find answers. However, research has found some attributes to increase the risk of Parkinson’s. These include:

• Sex: Men are more at risk of getting Parkinson’s. They are one and a half times more likely to get the disease than women.
• Race: White people are more likely to get Parkinson’s than any other race. 
• Age: Parkinson’s disease is usually diagnosed in people aged between 50 and 60 years old. Early-onset Parkinson’s does exist, but it is relatively rare. Only 5-10 percent of people with Parkinson’s are younger than 40. 
• Genetics: People with a close family member with Parkinson’s are more likely to develop the disease as well. 
• Head injury: People who experienced a head injury in the past are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life.

How Physical Therapy in Greenlawn Can Help

Did you know that getting 2.5 hours of exercise a week can help slow the decline of quality of life due to Parkinson’s disease? By enlisting the help of a physical therapist, you can get that exercise while also targeting areas affected by Parkinson’s. Benefits of physical therapy in Greenlawn include:

• A place to safely exercise
• Education about how Parkinson’s affects your body and how to exercise safely
• Exercise routines created by a professional that can improve mobility
• Help with balance or stability issues
• Finding ways to help you get around. Examples include getting in and out of bed or going up and down stairs

There are many different techniques a physical therapist may use to help you. Some examples include:

• Stretching: Stretching muscles that are already affected by Parkinson’s can help you regain mobility. 
• Walking: Moving around is vital to fending off symptoms of Parkinson’s. By keeping your muscles active and using a large range of movement, your mobility and flexibility will improve. 
• Weightlifting: Lifting small weights or pool exercises that use water as resistance can help strengthen your muscles. 
• Gait training: Balance instability is a common symptom of Parkinson’s. With gait training, you can practice walking with the guidance of a professional. A physical therapist can also help teach you the safest way to get around at home. 

Your specific needs determine the types of techniques a physical therapist uses. With the help of physical therapy in Greenlawn, you’ll gain more mobility and gain confidence in your movements and balance.

What to Expect At Island Sports Physical Therapy

At your first appointment at Island Sports Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will first evaluate your physical ability to create a unique physical therapy program that best fits your needs. We understand that everyone’s experience with Parkinson’s disease is different, so we want to make sure we create a program that expresses that. We also make sure to include education and prevention methods in our physical therapy programs because we want to keep you safe even when you’re not in our office. 

Contact Us Today!

At Island Sports Physical Therapy, you can rest assured that your care is our number one concern. Our experienced physical therapists are trained to treat a variety of geriatric conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. When you make an appointment with us, you’re guaranteed kind and compassionate care with professionals that know how to fulfill your needs. You’ll leave our office with confidence that you can live your life safely. Visit our website to contact us or to make an appointment today!