It’s almost summer, but thanks to Parkinson’s, I am freezing
Trying to get my feet to move can be a physical and mental challenge
“Squash the bug, Barry!” my friend Dave yelled across the boxing gym. Our other friend Barry had been on his way to get a drink of water and had frozen. When Dave shouted, Barry lifted one leg and stomped it down (picture somebody squishing a bug), and that got him out of his freeze.
Gait freezing, also called akinesia, is a common problem for people with Parkinson’s disease and a leading cause of falls. It can happen for various reasons: multitasking, such as talking while walking; anxiety or stress, like when crossing the road or moving through a crowded space; and the very weird one of transitioning between spaces, such as walking through a doorway.
There is a slew of ideas for how to get moving again: swinging your arms, standing up straight, shaking it off, taking a deep breath, listening to music with a strong beat, not listening to any music. The suggestions are endless, and everyone seems to have their own way of coping. So far I haven’t frozen while walking (and hopefully I never will!), but I do have difficulty initiating movement.
‘It’s a Parkinson’s thing’
One night this past April, some friends came over for dinner. We’d finished the meal and I was packing things up and putting them away when I realized my feet were stuck on the ground. This dreaded freezing had happened before, but not with other people around.
What I usually do to get out of these “sticky” situations, where it feels like my feet are glued to the floor, is hop. So there I was, jumping to the left in front of people who didn’t know what was happening. Was I going to “step to the right” next and break into the “Time Warp“? Maybe.
My friend’s eyes widened as she watched my moves.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
“My feet were stuck, so I hopped. Most people haven’t seen me do that.”
Still puzzled, my friend walked around the kitchen island to my side, looking at the floor.
“Is there a mat you were stuck on?”
“Nope, it’s a Parkinson’s thing.”
“Oh.”
And that ended the discussion for the night. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, though, because I’ve had more freezing episodes since then, which is a bit terrifying, since to me that means disease progression.
I’ve had moments in my exercise class when I had to think hard about the next move. The rest of the class was moving along, and I’m sure it must have looked like I was avoiding the exercise, but I was really persuading my feet to get a move on!
Yes, what seems like something we should all be able to take for granted has become a mind game for me and others with this confounding disease. It’s not just about physical movement, but also about mental strength and determination to keep going despite our challenges.
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
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