A new study suggests patients with Parkinson's disease exercise to improve their balance, mobility and overall quality of life.
Parkinson's disease is a condition that causes the nerve cells in the brain to die, leading to slowness and stiffness in movement. According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, as many as one million Americans have the disease and there are about 60,000 new diagnoses per year. While the disease is common in older people, about 4 percent of patients are diagnosed even before they turn 50.
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia initiated a study to determine if exercise programs can help patients from falling. Six of 10 patients experience at least one fall per year.
The study involved 231 people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease who were grouped to receive either the usual care or an exercise program. The exercise program, which was monitored by a physical therapist, was good for 40 to 60 minutes focused on improving balance and leg strength. The patients exercised three times a week at home.
After the follow-up period, the researchers found no difference in the number of falls experienced by those who received the usual care and underwent the exercise program. But those who were part of the exercise program showed improvement of their movement and balance, as well as their overall feeling about their quality of life, WebMD News reported.
"The resulting injuries, pain, limitations of activity and fear of falling again [from Parkinson's-related falling] can really affect people's health and well-being," Colleen G. Canning of the University of Sydney in Australia said in a press release. "These results suggest that minimally supervised exercise programs aimed at reducing falls in people with Parkinson's should be started early in the disease process."
The study was published in Dec. 31 issue of the journal Neurology.
