Deep brain stimulation (DBS) directed at the central part of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a brain region important for movement, was the best option to improve balance and gait, including freezing of gait, in Parkinson’s disease, a small clinical trial suggests. Targeting the central STN with electrical stimulation…

A four-week exercise program to improve balance, directed by a smartphone app, can help older adults walk at a faster pace and correct their posture, a study has found, features that may help to prevent falls, a common complication of Parkinson’s disease. The app, being developed by scientists at…

Regular physical exercise helps to improve balance and mobility in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, an analysis of published studies reports. Best results, in terms of this easing in disease motor symptoms, were seen with “consistent and sustained” participation in exercise sessions. “The findings of our…

Anything that causes the body or mind to be off balance, shifted away from its baseline state of homeostasis, will create problems. This is especially true with Parkinson’s disease. As I move deeper into midstage Parkinson’s, the experience of being off balance is more intense and lasts longer,…

My sister, Bev, 84, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in 2017 after having undiagnosed symptoms for about eight years. She told me that while working as a nurse and then as an echocardiography technician, she experienced the shaking of her head and left hand. Bev also had some…

Practicing tai chi for a year improved gait and balance in early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients, improving both inflammation and metabolism as well as brain function, according to a recent study. The study, “Mechanisms of motor symptom improvement by long-term Tai Chi training in Parkinson’s disease patients,” was published…

Signs of frozen gait are most noticeable when people with Parkinson’s disease  are turning or walking in a circle, and more noticeable when they are walking backward rather than forward, a small study reported. Three distinct characteristics of walking — step length, walking speed, and range of joint motion —…

Offering more weekly exercise classes at a higher intensity over a wider geographical area may help to instill  better exercise habits in people with Parkinson’s disease, a study suggested. The study, “Associations between exercise classes and self-reported exercise by people with Parkinson’s disease at Parkinson’s foundation centers…

Spending time in the water can be refreshing, relaxing, and healing for both the body and the soul. For those with Parkinson’s disease (PD), performing exercises or movements in the water, a practice known as aquatic therapy, may be especially beneficial. Because water reduces the stress and pressure on the…

Caregivers for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) know the physical and emotional toll it exacts on those who suffer from it. The financial burden from Parkinson’s disease is less well known. My sister Bev has stage 3 PD and struggles with balance, cognitive, and falling issues. She also…