Kinesiology & Parkinson's Disease

Individuals over the age of 50 are prone to develop Parkinson's Disease. According to the Parkinson's Organization in the U.K., one person in every 500 has the condition. In the United States, about 60,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. The condition significantly affects movement, and kinesiology offers a treatment option that has the potential to improve motor disabilities in Parkinson's Disease.

Significance

• Parkinson's significantly affects coordination of movement and balance

  Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition that affects movements. Tremor, muscle stiffness, and slowness of movement are the common motor symptoms of the condition. Walking difficulty and postural deviation affecting balance is very common. Kinesiology is a science dealing with biomechanical, exercise physiology, and psychomotor behavior to study human movement. It provides therapeutic rehabilitation to help improve motor movement in Parkinson's disease.

Features

• Pressure is applied with muscle testing in kinesiology

  Kinesiology uses a non-invasive approach in Parkinson's to correct gait disturbances, postural changes and imbalance. Muscle feedback, relaxation techniques, and body awareness are the common components of management. It uses muscle testing to identify structural imbalances in the body and help promote its natural healing energy. Pressure is applied to different body parts as part of muscle testing.

Effects

• According to the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery &Psychology, the cardinal clinical symptoms of Parkinson's Disease include tremor, slowness of movement, postural deviation, and rigidity. Postural imbalance and gait disturbances in Parkinson's can be debilitating most of the time. The use of muscle retraining and gait training in kinesiology provides biofeedback that helps the person become more aware of their posture and balance. Muscle testing and biofeedback also help improve motor movements. The relaxation procedure in physical therapy reduces the occurrence of muscle rigidity.

Benefits

• Potential injury from falls and accidents due to imbalanced movement and gait disturbance in Parkinson can be prevented with gait training. With improved biofeedback on balance and movement, individuals with Parkinson's disease can evade the risk of injury. Kinesiology incorporates with it physical therapy rehabilitation in the management of Parkinson symptoms that improve the activities of daily living of affected individuals.

Considerations

• There is no cure for Parkinson's Disease but the best management of the condition is support and medication. Kinesiology is only a part of the multi-disciplinary management and support required for the condition. Its main goal is to encourage better control of movement; improve balance and motor function; and to develop the general well-being of the individual. The combination of pharmaceutical intervention and kinesiology can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals with Parkinson's Disease.