Parkinson’s Disease

Physiotherapists provide a unique contribution to the management of people living with Parkinson’s Disease. People living with Parkinson’s may find they have problems with everyday movements like walking or getting in and out of a chair or bed. Physiotherapy assessment and support can help maintain and improve mobility, flexibility, and balance to ease non-motor Parkinson’s symptoms such as depression, or constipation.

Disease progression can lead to the following physical changes:

• Loss of joint flexibility, which can affect balance.
• Decreased muscle strength or deconditioning which can affect walking and the ability to stand up from sitting.
• Decline in cardiovascular conditioning, which affects endurance.

Our physical activity programmes begin by establishing your physical activity capability level, then developing a programme with you that does not worsen your symptoms.   

This is an effective, and safe means of treating and managing some symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and can help treat depression and anxiety. Oxygen Therapy is based on a dramatic increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen carried by the blood which enables oxygenation of ischemic areas with compromised circulation.

It also activates oxidant-antioxidant system, stimulates angio- and neurogenesis, modulates inflammatory response, induces brain neuroplasticity, and possesses analgesic effect. Research suggests that oxygen therapy can help stabilize neuronal function, thereby potentially decreasing the progression of the neurodegeneration observed in Parkinson’s Disease.

Oxygen therapy involves a 15-session initial protocol, consecutive sessions, then weekly sessions to help you manage your symptoms.  

• HBOT & Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Study | Hyperbaric Studies
• Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for Parkinson's disease with severe depression and anxiety: A case report - PubMed (nih.gov)

Our physiotherapy team can teach you exercises that will improve your strength, flexibility, and stamina. Gentle low-impact exercise, such as yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi can help maintain bone mass, improve balance, reduce stress, and increase strength. Moving your body may be the last thing you feel like doing, but you have to believe that it really does help. It’s hard at first, but it does get easier.

Complementary approaches used together with conventional medicine are generally accepted as improving overall physical and mental wellbeing.

Acupuncture helps to reduce many types of chronic pain, which includes headaches, joint pain, and neck pain. So, it's not surprising that many people with Parkinson’s are interested in trying it.

If you're having trouble finding relief for your pain, it may be worth trying acupuncture.

Many people living with Parkinson’s use aromatherapy to help you relax. There hasn’t been much research on how aromatherapy may help with Parkinson’s.

Research does suggest it can have a mild, temporary calming effect on anxiety, Aromatherapy is one of the more commonly offered therapies in NHS hospitals with complementary medicine programmes