Therefore, in favor of preventing further injury to patients and older adults, providing a safe and effective environment has become a primary issue of concern among researchers in this field.Īquatic exercise is one of the non-pharmacological methods adopted to increase the patients' strength and flexibility as well as decrease pain and musculoskeletal spasms ( 19). Since PD appears at older ages, naturally accompanied by motor disorders and lack of balance, taking exercises on the ground is difficult for the patients and may lead to more injury. These exercises are accessible to all people with normal physical fitness and do not require any special skills ( 18). This exercise can be done in standing, sitting, and prone positions without moving a distance, jumping, or hopping, thereby reducing the damage caused by joint injuries ( 17). Pilates includes stretching and strength movements that take place throughout the joint's ROM at a controlled speed accompanied by mental concentration and deep breathing. The focus of Pilates is on the ability of the muscle position to maintain body balance and support the improvement of the vertebrae. This exercise includes a set of unique movements that encourage the mind to control the muscles ( 16). Pilates is one of the well-known forms of mind-body exercise, where the focus is on movement control, body position, and breathing ( 15). They declared that only treadmill exercise had a positive effect on forward walking, while backward walking improved with treadmill and stretching ( 14). In another study by Rawson et al., researchers compared the effect of Tango dance, treadmill, and stretching exercises on the forward and backward walking of PD patients. Also long-term effect of the exercise is well established ( 13). They stated that exercise could have positive significant effect even after a short period of intervention. have provided evidence that a period of mild to moderate intensity treadmill training has significant and persistent benefits for balance, functional capacity, and quality of life in PD patients. found that muscle strength and length, walking speed and stature could be improved in PD patients just like their healthy peers of the same age through resistance training ( 10- 12).Īrfa-Fatollahkhani et al. Many studies suggest that physical activity reduces disease-related mortality by preventing body degradation and muscle weakness and increasing the ROM, strength, and quality of life in patients with PD ( 7- 9). This has several effects on the patients' walking, like reduced speed, joint locking or freezing, reduced range of motion (ROM) of the lower limb joints, a shaking leg swinging on the ground, unbalanced walking, and increased risk of falls, especially when changing paths or crossing obstacles ( 7). The motor difficulty appears first in the upper limbs then, over time, it extends to the lower limbs. These patients lose their physical fitness, balance, and self-confidence in a short time, which lowers their quality of life ( 5, 6). This decline is caused by the lack of basal ganglia impact on the cortical motor centers due to damaged underlying complexes that ultimately reduce the activity of the motor neurons and cause muscle weakness and loss of strength ( 4). This leads to lower levels of strength and functionality ( 3). This process accelerates as the complications caused by pharmacotherapy in PD patients advance. Reductions in the level of physical activity due to aging lead to a decline in the patients’ individual functional levels. Disruption in walking and daily activities and impairments in the patient's brain and mental state appear in the advanced stages of the disease. Other signs include speech impairment, bending stature, and depression. ( 1) Motor symptoms constitute the primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder resulting from the reduction, damage, or loss of the dopamine-producing neuronal cells in the substantia nigra in the midbrain. Further studies should be run to reveal the aforementioned and plausible benefits of these complementary activities.Īquatic Exercise Muscle Strength Parkinson's Disease Pilates Range of Motion 1. Next to the pharmacological treatments, patients could benefit from inexpensive and readily available options like Pilates and aquatic exercises to alleviate the disease symptoms. Non-pharmacological modalities could be contributive in the patients with Parkinson's disease recovery and lead to significant improvements in their physiological parameters of muscle strength and ROM.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |