ABSTRACT

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is classied as a movement disorder and compromises patient mobility in a variety of ways. Loss of automatic movement caused by dopamine depletion in the basal ganglia creates a negative impact on the ability to initiate well-learned movement sequences.1 Inappropriate scaling of muscle force combines with decits in sensory proprioceptive processing to produce hypokinesia (smallness of movement). Decits in anticipatory postural adjustments have been suggested to be correlated with gait initiation decits in PD.2 Physical therapists are trained, licensed professionals who are experts in restoring and improving motion to achieve greater physical function. A 2001 research synthesis published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation supported the hypothesis that PD patients benet from physical therapy (PT) when it is added to their standard regimen of medication.3 An integral member of an interdisciplinary team approach to the management of PD, the physical therapist plays an important role throughout the continuum of care from time of diagnosis to advanced stages of the disease. Referrals to PT are benecial to address functional decits in mobility, develop an individualized exercise program, improve postural awareness/alignment, and reduce/eliminate pain. Patient/family education provided by physical therapists offers greater understanding of the impact of PD on mobility as well as instruction in movement enhancement strategies, compensation techniques, safety, and stress reduction.