April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. Parkinson’s Disease (PD), is the second most common degenerative neurological disorder, affecting about 1 million Americans.
PD is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects dopamine-producing neurons in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra, which plays a major role in movement.
Symptoms and the progression of PD vary from person to person and typically include, but are not limited to: tremors, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), hypokinesia (reduced amplitude of movement), limb rigidity, and gait and balance problems.
Of these symptoms, rigidity and hypokinesia can significantly impact the overall posture and mobility of these individuals.
Typical mobility deficits, as a result of rigidity, result in a stooped or forward flexed posture, rounded shoulders, and forward head position. This type of posturing can increase a person’s risk for falls and limit their quality of life by creating difficulty with daily actives including dressing, cooking, cleaning, and transfers.
Addressing mobility deficits through active stretches can help to reduce rigidity as well as improve overall posture, balance and coordination. These factors all contribute to mental health, social engagement, and well-being.
Listed below are 5 seated mobility based exercises to help:
Seated Twist:
Sitting up nice and tall in a chair with feet on the floor. Bring your finger tips to your shoulders, then twist your trunk as far as you comfortably can to one side. Hold for 5 seconds, then rotate to the other side. Repeat 10 times to each side.
Seated Reach Up and Down :
Sitting up nice and tall in a chair with feet on the floor. Reach your hands overhead as much as you comfortably can, then bring your arms down reaching to the floor as much as you can. Repeat this 10 times.
Seated Lateral Reach :
Sitting up nice and tall in a chair with feet on the floor. Bring one arm up and lean to the side until you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds, then switch sides. Do 10 reaches per side.
Seated Hamstring Stretch:
Sitting up nice and tall in a chair with feet on the floor. Extend one leg out, then sweep your arms down towards your feet, feeling a stretch in the back of your leg. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds, then switch legs doing 10 times each side.
Seated Chest Opener:
Sitting up nice and tall in a chair with feet on the floor.Bend your elbows 90 degrees with your arms around shoulder height in front of you. Then open up your arms keeping your elbows bent feeling a stretch across your chest. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds, do 10 times.
If you have any discomfort with the stretches above, or are having increased difficulty with your daily mobility/balance, reach out to Action Potential Physical Therapy to see how we can help you to keep moving safely! https://reachyours.com/
Resources: https://parkinsonsdisease.net/treatment/exercise/ , https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Treatment/Exercise