How Does Physical Therapy Help?
Physical therapy cannot cure Parkinson’s disease, because at this time, neurological damage cannot be reversed. But therapy can enable you to compensate for the changes brought about by the disease. These “compensatory treatments,” as they’re called, include learning about new movement techniques, strategies, and equipment. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to strengthen and loosen muscles. Many of these exercises can be performed at home. The goal of physical therapy is to improve your independence and quality of life by improving movement and function and relieving pain. Physical therapy can help with: • Balance problems • Lack of coordination • Fatigue • Pain • Gait • Immobility • Weakness Important note: Some physical therapists may apply diathermy (local heat application produced by high-frequency electrical current) to relieve muscle aches and pains. This could be dangerous to patients who have deep brain stimulators. It is very important that DBS patients inform all t
