Occupational Therapy Exercises For Parkinson’s Disease

What Other Services Does Physical Therapy Provide

Recommendations. A physical therapist can make recommendations for physical therapy at home, at an outpatient facility, or at a nursing or rehabilitation facility.

Work capacity evaluations. Many physical therapists can perform functional capacity evaluations to provide more information for disability claims based on physical performance. This functional capacity evaluation can be useful when the Social Security office denies disability to a person who is unable to work for an eight-hour day.

How Does Physical Therapy Help Parkinson’s Disease

Physical therapy cannot cure Parkinson’s disease, because at this time, neurological damage cannot be reversed. But therapy can help you compensate for the changes brought about by the condition. These “compensatory treatments,” as they’re called, include learning about new movement techniques, strategies, and equipment. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to strengthen and loosen muscles. Many of these exercises can be performed at home. The goal of physical therapy is to improve your independence and quality of life by improving movement and function and relieving pain.

Physical therapy can help with:

• Balance problems
• Immobility
• Weakness

Important note: Some physical therapists may apply diathermy to relieve muscle aches and pains. This could be dangerous to patients who have deep brain stimulators.

Add Aqua Therapy To Your Parkinsons Patients Treatment

HydroWorx offers a variety of products specifically designed to help facilities, just like yours, bring the benefits of aqua therapy to Parkinsons patients and many others. We can work with you to identify your patients needs to determine the ideal hydrotherapy solution from our versatile family of products.

Not only can we help you identify the best possible equipment for your facility needs, but also unique and creative ways to integrate aquatics into your Parkinsons patients current treatment routines. When you have the equipment onsite, it becomes simpler to make adjustments, especially when you take advantage of features enhancing the experience like adjustable-floor therapy pools and variable-speed underwater treadmills.

The use of aquatic therapy, underwater treadmills and resistance jet technology for Parkinsons patients can do the following and more:

• Help regain trunk balance
• Improve ambulation
• Encourage confidence

All of the above are critical when encouraging Parkinsons patients to exercise for their health and to reduce the severity of their symptoms.

Aquatics offers a full range of exercises patients can do without a fear of falling to hold them back. Whether youre working with Parkinsons patients, Alzheimers patients or patients with a host of other physical and neurological conditions, hydrotherapy can be an effective tool for promoting overall physical fitness and good health.

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How To Exercise With Parkinsons

Whether you’re a first-time exerciser or a lifelong athlete, the key to working out with Parkinsons is to safely and regularly move your body in a variety of ways. Your fitness regimen should include these four main categories of exercise:

• Aerobic activity
• Balance, agility, and multi-task exercises
• Stretching

People with Parkinsons should strive to perform aerobic activity at least three times weekly and to complete exercises from the other categories two to three times each week.

In total, the Parkinsons Foundation suggests performing 150 minutes of moderate tovigorous exercise weekly.

To help you achieve this goal, try these helpful tips:

• Invest in a treadmill, elliptical, or exercise bike. This will make it convenient to perform aerobic exercise from your home, regardless of the weather.
• Obtain a set of light hand weights from a local exercise shop or thrift store. These can be used for a wide variety of strength training exercises.
• Follow along with one of the many online exercise classes on YouTube that are tailored to people with Parkinsons disease. The Parkinsons Foundation and the Davis Phinney Foundation offer many great online exercise videos.
• Connect with a workout buddy by finding a local Parkinsons support group associated with the American Parkinson Disease Association

Synthesis Of Data And Meta

Meta-analysis was performed using Cochrane review manager software version 5.3 . Based on the study design, a meta-analysis was conducted on the comparative study of the exercise with conventional drug treatment combination and conventional drug monotherapy groups. Separately, a meta-analysis was conducted on the comparative study of exercise and conventional drug treatment combination and on the regular activity and conventional drug treatment combination groups. The efficacy estimates were obtained from the relative risk for dichotomous variables and from the mean difference for continuous variables. A random effect model was used based on clinical heterogeneity between studies. The statistical significance of the effect estimates was verified based on the total effect test, 95% confidence interval , and significance level of 5%. Meta-analysis was conducted by the classification of each outcome.

The Chi-square test and the Higgins I2 statistics were used to assess statistical heterogeneity. In the Chi-square test, it was verified that there was significant heterogeneity when the p value was less than 0.05 or the I2 value was greater than 50.

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How Do I Find An Occupational Therapist

Referral procedures depend on where you live and treatment may or may not be accessible through your countrys national health system.

In some countries occupational therapy is prescribed by medical doctors but in others people with Parkinsons can contact an occupational therapist direct without going through their doctor.

Training and accreditation varies throughout Europe so it is best to check the experience of anyone you consult. It is helpful to be seen by someone who has experience of Parkinsons, and always ask for references and the likely costs before treatment commences.

Best Practice Guidelines are available online for occupational therapists working with people who have Parkinsons. ParkinsonNet also provides evidence based guidelines in English.

Your national Parkinsons organisation may be able to provide information based on members experiences. See also, Other Parkinsons organisations.

Physical Therapy Strategies For Parkinsons Disease

PT can improve daily functioning for people living with PD by:4

• Improving gait, or the way a person walks
• Improving transfers, like going from stillness to activity
• Improving balance
• Strengthening joints and muscles to improve physical capacity

One of the ways physical therapists help improve gait is through the use of cues. Cues are stimuli from the environment or generated by the person that they can use to facilitate repetitive movements, like walking. Cues can be:4

• Auditory, like using a metronome or music
• Visual, such as stepping over stripes on the floor
• Tactile, like tapping on the hip or leg
• Cognitive, like using a mental image of the length of a step

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Study Design And Participants

We retrospectively identified PD patients, hospitalized at the Department of Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorder Rehabilitation of Moriggia-Pelascini Hospital in Gravedona ed Uniti , from January 2015 to June 2018, to undergo a 4-week Multidisciplinary Intensive Rehabilitation Treatment .

• Eligibility criteria were as follows: diagnosis of idiopathic PD according to the UK Brain Bank criteria Hoehn and Yahr stage 2 to 4 ability to perform both the O’Connor finger dexterity test and the Minnesota manual dexterity test .

• Exclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosis of atypical parkinsonisms, psychosis, auditory and visual dysfunctions, and comorbidities impairing autonomy in ADL.

The study design and protocol were approved by the local Ethics Committee and were in accordance with the code of Ethics of the World Medical Association . All patients signed an informed written consent form for the use of their clinical data for scientific purposes. This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov website }NCT03763955.

Occupational Therapy And Carers

Occupational therapists can advise your carer and family how to support you in staying independent. They can also advise on ways to look after their own health.

It is important that your family and carers are also involved in, and understand, any changes the occupational therapist recommends to your usual routines. Getting help and advice from an experienced therapist can reduce the amount of help you need from your family or carer and so alleviate any pressure they may feel.

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How Many Physical Therapy Visits Will I Need

Treatments in physical therapy often can be completed in one to three office visits. The first appointment includes an evaluation and recommendations for exercises. The following appointments check your progress and review and expand your home program. Most hospitals can provide additional sessions of outpatient therapy if needed.

Who Is Lisa Warren

Lisa Warren graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch with a B.S. in occupational therapy. She received a Masters of Health Science from the University of Florida. She has more than 30 years of experience as an occupational therapist. Lisa is the rehabilitation site manager for the UF Health Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases. She has been a member of this team since 2010. This rehab clinic provides occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy evaluations and treatment for persons with neurological disorders. Lisa has lectured healthcare providers locally, nationally and internationally on therapy for Parkinsons Disease, Huntingtons Disease, dystonia, essential tremor and other neurological disorders. She frequently speaks to support groups, teaches therapy students and provides community workshops.

Lisa has lectured locally and nationally on therapy for Parkinsons Disease, Huntingtons Disease, dystonia, essential tremor and other neurological disorders. She frequently speaks to support groups and at community workshops. She has established a quarterly meeting of therapists across the US and Canada for information sharing on the treatment of patients with neurological disorders. She is considered a world expert on OT for Parkinsons disease.

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How Aquatic Therapy Helps Manage Parkinsons Symptoms

Hydrotherapy treats a wide range of illnesses and orthopedic or chronic disorders. Among them are many conditions related to strength and balance. While aquatic exercise for Parkinsons disease does not reduce all risks of falls which is a key concern among many Parkinsons patients it can be beneficial by strengthening the core and improving muscle memory.

Risk Of Bias Within Studies

In most studies, the risk of bias was not high. Among the risk of bias domains, blinding of the participants and personnel and selective reporting revealed methodological concerns. Nine articles were classified as âunclear risk of bias’ in the random sequence generation because there was no specific description of the randomization method. Eight studies were classified as âunclear risk of biasâ in the allocation concealment. Another study that did not conceal the assignment order was classified as âhigh risk of bias.â Most studies were classified as âhigh risk of biasâ in the blinding of participants . In the incomplete outcome data , one study was evaluated as âhigh risk of biasâ and all the remaining studies were evaluated as âlow risk of biasâ. In the selective reporting , one study was rated as âhigh risk of biasâ and the rest of the studies were evaluated as âunclear risk of bias.â A summary of the risk of bias is shown in Figure 2.

The graph of risk of bias the summary of risk of bias: â+â=low risk of bias, âââ=high risk of bias, and â?â=unclear risk of bias.

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Search Strategy For Cinahl

S1: TI OR AB

S2: TI OR AB

S3: TI OR AB

S4: TI OR AB

S5: S3 OR S4

S6: S1 AND S2 AND S5

Citation: Foster, E. R., Carson, L. G., Archer, J., & Hunter, E. G. . Occupational therapy interventions for instrumental activities of daily living for adults with Parkinsons disease: A systematic review . American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75, 7503190030.

Data Sources And Search Strategy

This study was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions . The systematic literature search was conducted using Pubmed , Excerpta Medica dataBASE , Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials , the Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System , and Chinese medical databases . The articles reported until December 2016 were searched, and there was no language limitation. Various exercise terms and MeSH terms were used for searching. The search strategies used in each database are presented in Table 1.

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How Can Occupational Therapy Help Parkinson’s Disease

For Parkinson’s disease, occupational therapy generally provides assessment, treatment, and recommendations in the following areas:

• Arm and hand therapy
• Driver evaluation and vehicle modification information
• Cooking and homemaking adaptations
• Ways to make the most of your energy
• Computer modifications
• Workplace or work equipment modifications
• Leisure skill development

Use Your Personal Strengths

How can you build on your strengths and minimize your limitations? For example, if you have the strength of helping children enjoy reading, you could exercise that strength by reading to your grandchildren, by listening to them as they read, or by playing a reading game that stimulates both your imagination and theirs.

One of your strengths may be thinking skills. One thinking skill is imagining doing the activity before doing it. For example, imagining writing big can actually help you write big. Another thinking skill is speaking the steps out loud. When combing your hair, try saying hold and comb, to avoid dropping the comb.

Make sure you are exercising. Improving strength, balance and endurance through exercise supports your participation in all sorts of activities. Whether it is dancing or walking to a neighbors house, find an enjoyable way to exercise.

Lastly, be positive. Think, I will do rather than Ill try to and you may be more successful.

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Tips And Tricks From An Occupational Therapist That Can Help Increase Independence During Daily Activities

Lisa Carson, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, who works closely with our APDA Greater St. Louis Chapter. She has a lot of expertise in treating people with PD, helping them to achieve increased independence. If you are interested in working with an OT, be sure to speak to your neurologist about it and ask for a recommendation. Your local APDA Chapter may also be able to refer you to an Occupational Therapist in your area.

Recently, I was able to ask Dr. Carson about tips and tricks for people with PD who are having difficulty with some basic activities such as eating, preparing meals, writing, using a keyboard, and using a cell phone. Here are her suggestions:

What Should I Expect At An Appointment

You may meet your occupational therapist in a variety of places, including in your own home, a hospital, a Parkinsonâs clinic, a rehabilitation unit, an outpatient clinic, or in a residential or nursing home. In some countries it is possible to meet an occupational therapist at a Parkinsonâs support association office.

Appointments usually last between 30 and 60 minutes, and therapists may recommend a short course of occupational therapy usually once a week, for a month or two.

At the first appointment, an occupational therapist will ask about your daily activities, in particular how you look after yourself, your work and your leisure interests. For example, you may have problems preparing meals, dressing, shopping, walking in crowded places, doing a leisure activity, using a computer, or reading.

Collaboration is essential to successful treatment. Therefore, you need to tell your occupational therapist about your situation, how you cope on a daily basis and problems you experience. Then together you will be able to discuss goals for both you and your family and how you achieve them.

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How Occupational Therapy Helps Parkinsons

Parkinsons disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain that impairs nerve cells that control movement. This leads to symptoms like shaking, stiffness and difficulty with walking and talking, that gradually worsen over time. Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinsons each year, with men being 1.5 times more likely to have the disease than women.

Healthy Outlook spoke with occupational therapist Lorinda Hagstrom from Overlakes Outpatient Rehabilitation Services to learn more about this treatment.

Which Works For Me

After your evaluation, let your therapist decide which exercise program is best for you. It is never too early or too late to start an exercise program for Parkinson’s. Research has demonstrated functional improvements at all stages of the disease. Your therapist will determine with you which treatment protocol best suits your needs. Contact us to schedule your evaluation.

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Tip: Enhancing Hand Coordination

We use our hands throughout the day in all activities. People with PD may notice changes in the ease in which they perform hand and finger motions. An occupational therapist can help evaluate and make recommendations to improve hand coordination:

• Exercise hands and fingers regularly
• Engage in enjoyable and stimulating hand exercises, such as gardening or knitting
• Use toothbrushes, hairbrushes, silverware and writing tools with larger handles
• Use both hands in tasks – dont favor one hand over the other
• Schedule tasks that require greater hand control for times when you are well rested and medications are working well

Differences Between Physical Therapy And Occupational Therapy

While physical therapy and occupational therapy may be seen as interchangeable, there are some differences between the 2 practices. PT focuses on the physical rehabilitation of people recovering from injuries or disease. The goal of PT is to restore mobility. Physical therapists also educate people on managing their condition to maintain long-term benefits.3

OT also deals with rehabilitation and motion. However, it is focused more on enabling the person to engage in daily activities as seamlessly as possible. Occupational therapists also suggest adaptations and modifications to the persons environment.3

Physical therapists focus primarily on anatomy and the persons strength, functional capacity, and motor development. Occupational therapists combine physical aspects with mental health. They design exercises that teach people coping and management skills within their limits.3

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