Parkinsons Specific Exercise Guidelines
How Patients Are Using Cycling To Slow Down Parkinson’s
Parkinsons symptoms include tremor, rigid muscles and problems with movement. While early treatment can delay the worst symptoms, people almost always get worse. About 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year and about a million Americans have Parkinsons now.
No medical therapy can cure Parkinsons and while exercise was always shown to help people feel better, it was not generally accepted as a true therapy until recently.
Now teams are trying to find out how much exercise helps and just which symptoms it affects. Doctors say theyd be thrilled just to slow the inevitable worsening of the disease and if they can freeze progression or reverse symptoms, that would be a home run.
Corcos and colleagues say the most intense exercise appears to have at least temporarily frozen symptoms in many of their volunteers.
“The earlier in the disease you intervene, the more likely it is you can prevent the progression of the disease,” Corcos said in a statement.
“We delayed worsening of symptoms for six months, he added. Whether we can prevent progression any longer than six months will require further study.”
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They worked with 128 patients with early stage Parkinsons. They randomly assigned them to either moderate exercise four days a week, intense exercise four days a week, or no additional exercise.
“This is not mild stretching. This is high intensity, Corcos said.
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Theracycle Users With Multiple Sclerosis
My MS is really bad but I use my Theracycle five times a week for 45 minutes each time. When I use it, it keeps my legs from hurting and I never have spasms. I have to get on that bike. I cant say enough about it. Believe me, there is no doubt in my mind that if I didnt use that bike I would not be walking. It is the best investment I ever made. I love my Theracycle. Michelle Mesi West Seneca, New York
My wife Sarina has had MS for 25 years. She tried regular physical therapy exercise equipment, but she had no strength. She always feels better after she rides her Theracycle. She finds it very easy and very comfortable. What would I tell people? Do you have the will to go on? Or give up? Sarina is the type who is very willful. By all means, get this machine. Joe Cardillo North Stonington, CT
Ive had MS for 20 years. I was a runner. Exercise was an important part of my life. Through regular use, I can now operate the Theracycle at its maximum speed and get a great all body workout. This is a very easy piece of equipment to use. Its not going to sit around like other home exercise equipment I tried and collect a lot of dust. Nina Lyvers Harvard, MA
Ive had MS since 1983. In the time Ive had the Theracycle, its doing all that I hoped it would. You cant find anything that will do the same things. It definitely keeps me limber. James Hineman Nobelsville, IN
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What Are The Theracycle Specifications
Theracycle 100
20 W x 44 L x 57 H 240 lbs. Boxed for shipping 240 lbs
The electrical cord on all models is 9-feet long.
The Theracycle is a custom product, made in the USA by hand in Franklin, MA.
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Theracycle Therapy Products are made in the USA and shipped from Franklin, MA.
Benefits Of Exercise For People With Parkinsons Disease
Exercise has been shown to have several significant benefits for people with Parkinsons disease. These helpful effects seem to stem from two specific neurological changes that occur when you work out:
- The release of a chemical called dopamine: This positively impacts your movement, mood, and sensation of pain.
- Growth and change in the cortical striatum:This is an area of the brain that controls your voluntary movements.
These two exercise-related changes can result in many concrete advantages for people with Parkinsons, including:
- Improved balance
- Reduced sleep disruptions
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So What Type Of Exercise Is Best
There are many different forms of exercise, but what type is right for you? Every individual is different! Its important to remember that although a combination of aerobic, resistance and balance exercises have the best overall effect, you may need to modify each element to your suit your unique circumstance.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is described as continual movement to assist in the improvement of cardiorespiratory function. This includes walking, cycling, swimming and even dancing! Exercising to music specifically has seen some fantastic results in managing Parkinsons symptoms. Dance for Parkinsons Australia run specialised dance classes across Australia, providing a social environment so share stimulating activity.
Resistance exercise
Maintaining strength is not only important to keep our muscles healthy, it also helps with daily activities like getting off the toilet and getting out of the car. Resistance exercises can be performed using your body weight, light hand weights, resistance bands, various machines found in a gym setting or even using common household items like cans of food. Moving your muscle under a greater resistance promotes an increase in muscle mass. You may like to participate in group setting, a home program, or a combination of both.
Flexibility exercise
Strategies To Improve Adherence
Patient adherence will be encouraged in the prerandomisation recruitment consultation. Each patient will be reminded of the session by a telephone call on the day of the meeting. Patient frequencies will be recorded using REDCap. In case of absence, the Intervention Monitoring Committee will contact the patient to clarify the reason for the absence and to reschedule the session. Leaving the session before completion and the reason will also be recorded. Adherence will be reported as a percentage of fully accomplished intervention sessions without protocol deviations given the total number of scheduled sessions .
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Physical Therapy For Parkinsons Disease
Its well-known that exercise of all kinds is beneficial for patients with Parkinsons disease. But physical therapy, in particular, is key. Why? A professional can guide you through the right moves to increase mobility, strength and balance, and help you remain independent, says Denise Padilla-Davidson, a Johns Hopkins physical therapist who works with patients who have Parkinsons. Here are things a therapist may work on:
Note: Please discuss any exercise program with your physician/neurologist and get a referral to a physical therapist or trainer with expertise in Parkinsons disease before starting any specific program.
Parkinson’s On The Move
Cost: Free
Thirty-one archived workouts for those with Parkinson’s. Videos are sortable by level of difficulty, area of the body to focus on, and preferred position . Other pages on this website offer free recipes and articles about nutrition and PD.
Also available is the Parkinson’s On The Move Exercise Library. This collection of 58 short videos each focus on stretching or strengthening a specific part of the body.
Cost: Free
Suzanne Chen leads 43-minutes of stretch and strengthening exercises for those with Parkinson’s. Equipment to follow along include an elastic band, light weights , a 8-9 inch soft ball , and a stable chair with no arms.
Cost: Free
Eight YouTube exercise videos for those with Parkinson’s, including four focused on neuromuscular integration, two total body conditioning and one seated strength. Most videos are about 30 to 45 minutes.
Cost: Free
Similar to Rock Steady Boxing in the US, this Australian app is available from Google play or the App Store is designed for early stage Parkinson’s disease. It includes 10 PD Warrior core exercises for free with upgrades and additional bundles available via in app purchases to customize your workout. Each exercise is demonstrated by a physiotherapist.
Cost: Free
Recordings of nearly 30 exercise classes that include a warm up, low/medium/high intensity exercises, boxing, dance, and cool down. There are also recordings of choir for PD classes and communications classes.
Cost: Free
Cost: Free
Cost: $25.95
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Laughing And Fighting Back
S. Elizabeth Zauber, associate professor of clinical neurology at the Indiana University school of medicine, says the boxing sessions also contribute to a sense of community by creating a support group that isnt really a support group.
Zauber, who serves on Rock Steadys board of directors and its medical advisory committee, says Its Hey, lets laugh at Parkinsons and fight back. Its empowering when you see your symptoms improve, and that leads to more confidence.
Daniel M. Corcos, professor of physical therapy and human movement sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is leading a multisite clinical study among those with early Parkinsons, that is, people diagnosed less than three years ago and who are not yet taking medications, comparing two levels of exercise.
The trial, which is recruiting participants, will study two groups. Members of one group will walk on a treadmill at a speed equal to 60 to 65 percent of their peak heart rate, while the second will work at 80 to 85 percent capacity. Maximal heart rate the peak rate at which an individuals heart beats varies from person to person and is age-dependent. Younger people typically have a higher capacity.
Earlier studies confirmed the safety and feasibility of both routines and suggested anecdotally that the higher-intensity walks produce more benefits.
Theracycle Users With Parkinsons Disease
The Theracycle has made every day easier!Prior to my Parkinsons disease diagnosis, I was a surgeon and dedicated to a fitness regime to offset a strong family history of cardiac disease. My wife doesnt remember who told her about the Theracycle, but we are so glad they did. Even before my balance deteriorated enough to prevent on-road cycling, I was feeling a benefit from using the Theracycle, especially a reduction of the overall stiffness in my muscles. Periodically I have to give up various other forms of exercise due to weakness and stiffness, thats when I appreciate the Theracycle most. I always feel better when I am able to exercise, and most often I get it on my Theracycle. Its the first thing I do every morning. The helpful staff at Theracycle even went out of their way to ensure that I could access one when I had a prolonged stay away from home. Whenever I need advice on minor adjustments I just call and get a friendly and timely answer. I couldnt be happier that I purchased one and I wish health clubs would too so that I wouldnt have to give it up when I travel. Dr. Alan FredlandChicago, Illinois
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Benefits Of Exercising With Parkinson’s Disease
If you have Parkinson’s, you probably already know that exercise can do wonders for your health and well-being. But if you aren’t taking advantage of the benefits of exercise, now is the perfect time to get started.
First of all, exercise can help relieve some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Exercise can:
- Improve posture and balance
- Boost mood and reduce depression
- Increase flexibility and range of motion
- Increase daily energy level
Multitask Movement And Cognition
Multitasking challenges balance and coordination by adding multiple components to any Parkinsons exercise. Physical coordination results from exercises such as raising a leg in an up and down motion from a seated position while moving arms in the opposite direction.
Cognitive tasks can be incorporated into physical activities to further enhance coordination. For example, count backward, sing a song, or recite the alphabet during any exercise.
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What Does A Parkinson’s
Its important to practice Parkinsons specific exercises rather than general exercise training to improve movement because of the type of brain stimulation each type of exercise produces.
Your brain has the ability to help you move better. It learns from all stimulation applied to it, including exercise, and has an enormous capacity to re-wire the neural connections for improved movement. You may not have noticed, but, getting off a low chair, rolling in bed and picking up a cup of water all require infinite amounts of fine-tuning as your brain prepares, conducts and evaluates the task. Your brain is receiving constant feedback about the environment so that it can move with the appropriate amount of speed, power and accuracy to be effective and efficient.
Dopamine deficiency can lead to the continuing reduction of movement, speed and power. Instead of getting up from the chair first time round, it may mean that you have to use your arms to push up, or rock back and forth a bit to get enough momentum to stand up. It is the chronic reduction in a movement that makes big movements like walking and small movements like writing so challenging.
Parkinsons specific exercise will teach you how to move with amplitude, power and speed in everyday tasks so that you can get back to doing the things you enjoy doing. By increasing your overall activity level, Parkinsons specific exercise may also slow down the symptom progression of your Parkinsons.
Exercise frequency
Strength Training As A Treatment
Currently, there is no cure for Parkinsons. With that in mind, science has focused on ways to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.
Among the proven treatment options is something we know well: strength training.
Strength training reverses some of the physical effects of Parkinsons and can possibly match the physical ability of Parkinsons sufferers to that of those without the disease.
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Healthcare Wellness And Fitness Professionals Who Recommend The Theracycle
As a practicing neurologist with twenty-five years of evaluating patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons Disease, and other neurological problems, I have taken an aggressive approach towards helping my patients receive the exercise they need. Patients who have used the Theracycle have shown increased range of motion and decreased spasticity, improved muscle tone, strength and balance control. Further, use of the Theracycle has increased the physical endurance and improved the psychological outlook of these patients. The Theracycle is motor driven, which enables users who cannot use their own energy to move their body. These patients have also shown improvement with digestion and other issues associated with immobility. Thomas F. Morgan, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Neuroscience Brown University School of Medicine Providence, Rhode Island
Patients who have used the Theracycle have shown increased range of motion and decreased spasticity, improved muscle tone, strength and balance control. Further, use of the Theracycle has increased the physical endurance and improved the psychological outlook of these patients. Thomas F. Morgan, MD Assistant Professor of Clinical Neuroscience Brown University School of Medicine
Exercise And Risk Of Disease
Exercise appears to have a neuroprotective effect against developing PD. Prospective cohort studies have found that men and women who partake in moderate and strenuous exercise appear to have a significantly decreased incidence in developing PD, although this is not a universal finding . Interestingly, higher levels of activity during 3539 years of agedecades before the average age of onset of the diseasesignificantly reduces risk of acquiring the disease . Evidence from animal models support these suggested neuroprotective effects of exercise against developing PD, highlighting the influence of exercise on neuroplasticity and self-repair .
While the underlying mechanisms for these potential neuroprotective effects are unclear, elevated plasma uric acid levels, seen in vigorous exercise , is hypothesized to play a role in the decreased risk and slower progression of the disease . It should be noted that these findings could be due to reverse causalityi.e., preclinical PD may lead to a reduction in activity, rather than a reduction in activity leading to an increased risk for the disease. However, this appears unlikely, as animal models suggest decreased physical activity is not a symptom of the disease itself and human studies have found no noticeable decrease in activity before diagnosis . However, while the benefits of exercise for PD patients have become more widely accepted recently, the most effective exercise sequence has yet to be elucidated.
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