Blocked or frozen movement ; what's your solution/ tactic?

[MacDoodle]

What do you folks do when you freeze? I'd like to hear any imaginative as well as pragmatic solutions for the times we feel blocked and cannot move . Thanks !

[Serenity_finaly-1]

With out anxiety meds I would freeze. After the meds I get dizzy and sleep​y, more of a drunk feeling.

[MacDoodle in reply to Serenity_finaly-1]

Hi, not heard that before but yes the possibility of getting well and truly stuck in a public place is a big worry. Thank you!

[Serenity_finaly-1 in reply to MacDoodle]

When I was starting to freeze I would find a quiet corner and put my back against the wall. If I can control the stimulus I keep it from controlling me.

[MacDoodle in reply to Serenity_finaly-1]

Yep. Makes sense . I've done similar stuff while dressings!

[parkie13]

I start counting, like one two three lift a leg, sometimes it works sometimes it going to do it over again. Not fun

[MacDoodle in reply to parkie13]

Yes exactly , unpredictable! Are you looking down or up and out to where you want to go? Thanks

[parkie13 in reply to MacDoodle]

probably where I want to go

[GymBag]

I just relax, wait a few minutes, then do a very purposeful move, a kick or thrust. I find that the most difficult time is after dinner with friends in a restaurant. Sitting all that time seems to bring on the freeze, getting up off the chair is difficult but moving past that is mostly impossible. I stand there, looking around waiting ,careful not to look like I am stressed or in trouble otherwise it becomes a big deal and people try to help which can be disastrous.

I need a sign "do not push start"

[MacDoodle in reply to GymBag]

Thank you! Yes I agree a warning light or siren to say back off everybody! Thank you!

[mktbob55]

Freezing a lot during the day can be a sign of low amount of CL. Are you freezing during your of times?

[GymBag in reply to mktbob55]

It is a good indicator of low CL or just being tired OR not moving very much. The last one is interesting and annoying. During a long period of concentration while sitting (like trying to eat pasta while having a discussion or a movie) I find that my legs have not moved for a while and when I stand freezing occurs and until I am moving ,balance is a concern .

Walking 2 blocks will result in a freeze and requires that I sit on my walker for a few minutes and rest . If there was no immediate place to sit and rest, I can concentrate very hard and walk very aggressively to a place where I can sit or else fall down (usually backwards). I can break any freeze within a couple attempts.

[MacDoodle in reply to GymBag]

Wow. Falling backwards sounds scary, I start going that way but so far caught myself or have a backward trot thing going on. Anyone offered you Fall prevention?.thank you

[MacDoodle in reply to mktbob55]

Do you mean Carbidopa / Levodopa? Thanks

[MacDoodle in reply to mktbob55]

Yes! My meds weren't covering my nights properly , so early morning falls...

[Alanjohn in reply to mktbob55]

Yes

[steph02]

This is stolen from John pepper's post a few days ago I found it exstreamly helpful.

" It all depends on how much you are prepared to invest in your health. I don't mean money but rather your energy.

If you accept that your brain is no longer capable of controlling your balance and walking, because that is the situation, and you are prepared to believe that your conscious brain is still able to control your balance and walking, then you stand a good chance of overcoming this problem.

Just to prove to you that what I am saying here is perfectly true I want you to get somebody to stand next to you and hold you firmly by your left arm, so that you cannot fall.

Now, I wan you to stand up as straight as you can and place all your weight onto your left leg. If you have all your weight on the left leg then you should be able to lift your right leg off the ground, without falling over. If you can't do that, it is because you are not putting all your weight onto your left leg. Keep trying until you can lift your right leg off the ground without falling.

Now! See how far you are able to raise your right leg up in front of you, hopefully with your right knee straight. If you are able to lift it quite high, as I am sure you are, you will realize that you are consciously lifting your right leg off the ground.

Now! Do the same with your left leg this time. Place all your weight on your right leg and lift the left leg up and see how far you can move it forwards, without falling.

With this other person holding onto you, practice placing your weight onto one leg at a time and swing the other leg freely backwards and forwards, while consciously balancing on the one leg.

The next exercise is, with this other person holding onto your left arm, to place all your weight onto your left leg and move forward as far as you can, while pushing your right leg out in front of you and landing 'consciously' onto the heel of your right foot, with the toes sticking up in the air. Then put all your weight onto that right leg and bring your left leg for

ward and land on the heel of the left foot with the toes sticking up in the air.

Now, carry on walking as fast as you can, with your friend helping you and 'consciously' thinking about moving one foot at a time and landing on the heel of the foot with the toes sticking up in the air.

Keep practising that! You will not freeze,, because you are consciously moving your legs. The moment you lose concentration you will freeze!

There is no magic attached to this, it is all common sense.

Let's know what happens! "

[MacDoodle in reply to steph02]

Yes I'm following johns lead for some time now. It's the indoor narrow spaces that get me. Thanks

[JohnPepper]

Hi MacDoodle. Pd affects the movements you make without having to think about what you are doing (Subconscious Movements). You don't have to think about what your arms and legs are doing when you walk, that has always been automatic! That has now changed!

all of a sudden, you are battling to walk, or bring food to your mouth without spilling it or writing.

This does not men the end of the world. n fact it does not mean that you can no longer do these things, it just means you have to do them DIFFERENTLY!

You are still able to consciously control your movements, overriding the subconscious brain! To illustrate this to you: if you are struggling to walk without falling or are freezing all the time then carry out this little test:

Get someone to hold your left arm firmly in their right arm.

1. Stand erect! There is no reason why you cannot stand erect, it may take a little while but you can still do it.

2. Put all your weight onto your left leg.

3. While standing on your left leg, see how far you can move your right leg out in front to you? You should be able to move it quite far, at least 18 inches.

4. Place all your weight on your right leg and then see how far you can move your left leg out in front of you?

5. With your friend standing safely behind you, holding you erect, wee how far you can swing your arms backwards and forwards?

6. See how far up you can stand on your toes?

You have now shown yourself that you are able to consciously move your arms and legs.

If you now try to walk with your friend holding your left arm and concentrating on placing your weight on one leg at a time and moving the other one out in front of you, concentrating hard on placing your heel onto the ground, with the toes pointing up in the air as you place your weight onto the heel of that leg and then lift the back leg off the ground an place that leg in front of you and place the heel on the ground with the toes pointing up in the air.

You are now walking consciously. The moment you stop concentrating on what leg you are standing on and what you are doing with each leg, you will immediately freeze. That means that you have lost concentration.

Practice what I have just taught you and start living a new way of life.

[MacDoodle in reply to JohnPepper]

Yes John I've been following your advice and with help from a physio I've improved my stride and arm swing. Posture is better too. And I can throw a ball up in each hand alternately while walking. Which is even better as my mind is totally occupied. I was curious to know what others are doing mentally to get out of stuck moments, usually brought on by confined spaces and in the public domain. Thanks!

[JohnPepper in reply to MacDoodle]

Controlling ones thoughts is difficult, but it is essential to master. If you allow your thoughts to wander off, when you are trying to walk, it is very dangerous. I am able to control my thinking, even though it still tries to wander off occasionally.

[MacDoodle in reply to JohnPepper]

Yes I think my main difficulty is not staying present. I'm learning to juggle...thanks John

[Whalebone]

I find that if I rock back & forth a couple of times before stepping either foot out gives me enough activity to go ahead and walk.

[MacDoodle in reply to Whalebone]

Thank you! That's helpful.