Falls are a common hazard for people with Parkinson’s disease, but new research says an exercise regimen could reduce the risk for some people.
Exercises that focus on improving balance and leg strength could help reduce falls by up to 70 percent for some people with Parkinson’s disease, researchers say. Australian researchers found the six-month exercise program, done mostly at home, was beneficial to people with milder Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
But people with more advanced Parkinson’s disease might still benefit from an exercise regimen, researchers said. They just might need a program with more supervision, said lead researcher Colleen Canning, an associate professor at the University of Sydney in Australia.
The right exercise for you
The study makes clear that therapeutic exercise regimens need to be tailored to individual Parkinson’s patients needs, Canning said. She also stressed that the study found an association between exercise and reduced risk of falls, not a cause-and-effect link.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disease that impairs movement and muscle control. Most patients notice a tremor at first, but symptoms worsen over time to include slowing of movements, muscle rigidity, loss of voluntary muscle movement and difficulties with tasks like speaking and writing. Mood changes, sleeping difficulties and cognitive decline may also occur. Over time, some people may develop dementia related to Parkinson’s disease. There is no cure, but medications, occupational and physical therapy and, in some cases, surgery, may reduce symptoms.
Falls are a common hazard for people with Parkinson’s disease, since the disease affects muscle control, balance and, in some cases, judgment, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. The foundation recommends exercise, physical therapy, medication review and making changes in the home environment to reduce the risk of falling.
Bettering balance
Canning’s team randomly assigned 231 Parkinson’s patients to either stick to their usual care regimen or add an exercise program. The exercisers took a monthly class with a physical therapist to learn balance and leg-strengthening exercises.
Most of the time, she said, patients in the exercise group worked on their own, fitting in 40 to 60 minutes of exercise three times per week. Some of those at-home sessions were guided by a therapist who made home visits.
The group as a whole saw no clear benefit, Canning said, but for 122 patients with milder symptoms, there was a reduction in the number of falls. In the group that exercised, 52 percent experienced a fall during the six-month study period, compared to 76 percent of those who didn’t exercise.
The results suggest that early intervention strategies for Parkinson’s should be updated to include minimally supervised balance and leg-strengthening exercises as a means to reduce falls, Canning said. But the key word there, she said, is “early” – ideally, Canning said, the regimen should be added before the patient experiences his or her first fall related to Parkinson’s disease.
Previous research has suggested that regular exercise reduces depression and improves cardiovascular health for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
The study was published online Dec. 31 in the journal Neurology.