Parkinson's
mobility tips & videos
I am a physical therapist who has worked with people with Parkinson’s (PWP) for 29 years. Now that I am retired I was thinking about the presentations I had put together over the years. I didn’t want to see them go to waste but didn’t know how to share them. As luck would have it, I was attending an online physical therapy course and they presented very informative video clips. This class has invigorated me to create ‘bite size’ educational modules. A project I started during Covid, is now completed! My hope is that this information is readily shared to benefit anyone who needs it!
You will find that most tabs contain YouTube videos discussing the specific topics. You can also click on the youTube tab to look at all the educational videos.
The ‘Role Of Physical Therapy’ tab discusses how Physical Therapy can help individuals with Parkinson’s.
The ‘Walking Better’ drop down covers many avenues on how to improve the length of your steps (such as using attention strategies, walking to the beat of a metronome or music and lastly using visual cues for those who have severe freezing.) Some individuals experience difficulties while walking on stairs, ramps or curbs – examples on how to make these activities more stable are provided. Sometimes your posture can cause your walking to speed up unintentionally. This is a more difficult aspect to correct but tips are offered to help improve control. Last but not least, turns and freezing can become very frustrating – these areas are individually addressed in detail.
The ‘Balance’ drop down tab covers 3 main areas which can affect your balance. Each ‘part’ discusses in detail what the problems are and how you can address these issues to reduce your fall risk.
If you hover on the ‘Walkers’ drop down, you can learn about 2 wheeled walkers or rollators, how to set them up and how to use them.
‘Uncommon Postural Changes’ discusses the relationship between pain and posture and what you can do to help control pain and optimize your posture.
The ‘Transfer’ tab contains ‘step by step’ instructional videos on ‘how to’ perform bed mobility, car transfers, chair transfers and floor transfers. Look for the drop down in each category. There are instructions for individuals with Parkinson’s who are able to maneuver on their own. Additional videos are presented more specifically for caregivers to minimize strain. Search for what you need and what applies to your situation. Because these methods often need to be individualized with the guidance of a physical therapist, the methods shown may need to be further adjusted but will give you the basics in the meantime.
‘Helpful Devices’ are items my patients have used and found to be helpful in making life easier. Take a look and see if there is something you think might help you. (Disclosure, I do not get a commission)
