Improving walking in Parkinsons

[Hikoi]

This video shows some ways to improving walking. It would not suit everyone but it is interesting that he uses diversion rather than focused attention. At the end he emphasises the need to also do strength building exercise

youtu.be/LohzwvrI98A(Not working as expected?)

[Enidah]

That was very good. Thank you for posting it. In my boxing class the instructor has had us skipping. It's great exercise and fun. I haven't had the nerve to do it outside around my neighborhood yet but I probably will.

[Oceanwind]

Ah yes, the walking mystery. Usually I don't stride with my left leg properly, and it tends to drag when I'm wearing off. I I saw this video a couple of months ago, and it inspired me to try using my hands. I'm lousy at bouncing a ball with control, so I changed it up to work for me. I still have no idea why this works but I noticed that when I walk and punch my arms up (Left, right , left etc.) for some weird reason I walk almost normally. Well, at least my legs look/feel normal - ha ha - I look like a lunatic, but when no one's around I try this, and it feels good to feel "normal" in the walking department again. Try it out - I'm curious to know if anyone else notices this.

[rebtar]

Thanks for the post. Very useful.

[Sleeplessparki]

Good stuff

[NRyan]

Thanks for sharing!

As PD manifests, it affects the physical actions that have the strongest "motor memory" in our bodies (strongest motor memory = we no longer need to put any thought processes towards them, they are now "hard-wired"). Walking, sit to stand, rolling over in bed, fork to mouth, etc. The challenge occurs in PD when you rely on the strong motor memory or "hard-wired" skills solely.

The whole thing with PD is they have you believe it is a slowing of the brain, that is not true. It is actually quite the opposite. A PD brain is extremely active...overactive which causes the difficulty with movement (also sleep, anxiety, depression, etc). That is why it is necessary to "take it over" with thought or movement of another kind. The "hard-wired" skills can no longer work effectively in an overactive brain.

Think of your brain as an unruly child that is having a temper tantrum. You can manage (override) the child by picking them up off the floor and assisting them to begin whatever the request was or you can leave them and move to another task (bypass) and they will calm and get themselves together and join in eventually.

I know John Pepper has a video on self-feeding that is successful when he changes his hand position slightly. The strong "hard-wired" motor movement is being "bypassed" when you change the position slightly or add another motor movement such as clapping, catching a ball, etc. When walking and bouncing a ball, the brain is focusing on the other movement (energy put there) and the motor memory takes over your legs without a problem, as it is no longer being short-circuited. It does also work to focus on the motor memory that is being impaired (focused walking, etc) as you consciously "override" the short-circuit. All of these are strategies to bypass or override the now impaired strong motor memory. They all work at some point and should be part of your tool kit for PD "roadside emergencies". As therapists, we tend to focus on the "bypass" of the symptom. This is why I love what John Pepper has to say....he reminded me that I can encourage my patients to "override" the symptoms as well as bypass them. Having another effective approach helps to feel empowered when helping PwP.

Social withdrawal, anxiety, exaggerated startle reflex, insomnia, and depression are all caused by an overactive brain. That is why things like qi gong, meditation and sleep are so vital to PwP. As well as nutrition, psychological healing and exercise! They all support and help CALM the brain. Inflammation causes the brain to become overactive....this is why an anti-inflammatory approach is so helpful.

My dad couldn't walk well but boy could he dance with me, we would sometimes dance to our destination. If he froze with his legs, I had him start marching and away we went. PD ends up having you focus on the creativity inside you....approaching every situation with fresh eyes. Yes, it does suck and is exhausting, however, it is forcing you to live in the moment and be mindful. Buddhists are envious!

Now you see why I love being an Occupational Therapist. The body is so amazing, even when experiencing dis-ease!

Seize the day!

[Enidah in reply to NRyan]

I love this conversation! I find my new brain endlessly fascinating and what you say rings true, it is very very busy. In fact I'll need to come back later and reread these post because I have to go do something right now and I can't concentrate enough. No wonder we can't multitask!

[anna1060 in reply to NRyan]

Yessss. These are brilliant techniques for fooling the brain. Here's another example: my now adult son stuttered for about a year when he was 10. It developed following our family's move across the county. But, he didn't stutter when he sang, or spoke French in class, or adopted a comic persona!

[Hikoi in reply to NRyan]

Here is a heart warming video of a man whose walking improves dramatically through music. His physical therapist posted it on fb and It has gone viral so many may have already seen it.

......his wife followed them around the house crying and laughing and saying she couldn't believe it. "She said she had been praying for a miracle for her husband and truly felt like this was an answered prayer!"

So does this remind you of your Dad NRyan?

fox13news.com/trending/watc...

[NRyan in reply to Hikoi]

Wow....I bet $100 this man used to dance! He has such natural rhythm! It made me cry even before they turned the music on. I have such a hard time being with anyone with PD symptoms....it brings me to tears almost immediately, It reminds me so much of my dad, I feel like he is in the room with me. Thanks for sharing....it is so beautiful to see this! Always have music with you!

[Enidah in reply to Hikoi]

That is so sweet. Thank you so much for sharing that! I think in the future we'll all be walking around with our music playing in our earbuds and doing little dances. Whatever works.

[JANVAN in reply to NRyan]

Very good "statement" and interesting explanation about the circuits....!!..as a former sportteacher and still as an osteopathic therapist, I of course try to find explanation. A former (music) teacher of us already talked a lot about neurologic learning processes and engramms.......

Where are you living . ??

[JohnPepper]

The answer to your posed question, "Why can you skip with no problem?"

For the past 15 years I have been telling people the answer to this question. It is this:

When we normally walk, we are not concentrating on the movements at all. Our subconscious brain controls those movements. Pd can affect every movement we make subconsciously, like walking, bringing food to our mouth and writing, just to mention a few.

You don't think about what your legs or arms are doing, when you walk,it all happens on its own. Now, with Pd, many of these movements give us problems, either with so-called stiffness or no movement at all (Freezing). The moment we concentrate on what we are doing, it works perfectly. So all we have to do is concentrate on the ACTUAL MOVEMENT. Because we don't often skip sideways, our subconscious brain has not been programmed to control it, so we consciously do that.

I help people to take conscious control of their walking by getting them to stand UPRIGHT, while I hold their left arm. Then I ask them to place all their body-weight onto their left leg, so that they can lift their right leg up without falling over. Remember, I am holding them and preventing them from falling over. If they don't balance on the left leg, which means they will tend to fall, then I prevent that from happening.

When they have mastered the art of balancing their weight on one leg then I ask them to show me how far they can stick the right leg out in front of them. They normally show me that they are able to stick it out quite far, which is more than I can do. Then I do the same with the other leg. Then I ask them to stand up on their toes, which they can all do. Finally I ask them to show me how far they can swing their arms up in the air, like they would if they were walking. They can all do that.

They have then shown me that they are capable of walking normally.

From there I tell them to put their weight onto their left leg so that they are able to lift the right leg off the ground without falling over, and then to concentrate on placing the heel of the right foot onto the ground, with the toes pointing up at about 30 degrees. Then they do the same with the left leg and they are walking normally. Simple as that. It takes lots of practice to get it right but there it is!

This is worth a fortune to anybody who wants to help others to walk, or maybe they will do it for nothing, as I do.

[Hikoi in reply to JohnPepper]

There was no posed question to answer.

[JohnPepper in reply to Hikoi]

He asks the question in his video.

[Hikoi in reply to JohnPepper]

Oh you are replying to the man in the video.

[JohnPepper in reply to Hikoi]

I am telling everybody who watches the video what the answer is to his question as to why he is able to walk and side-step properly.

[Hikoi in reply to JohnPepper]

I have noticed.

[PDConscience in reply to JohnPepper]

When hyping the saga of his miraculous “PD reversal", JP routinely fails to mention that his original diagnosis was ‘Essential Tremor’ (a non-parkinsonian condition), that his claims of PD “reversal” have NEVER been supported by a single qualified neurologist (N.Doidge is a psychiatrist who writes books), that he has never had a positive response to Sinemet - the 'levodopa challenge' - further indicating a NON-parkinsonian condition, and, despite writing a book on the subject and obsessively hyping fast-walking “PD reversal”, continues to stubbornly dodge the commonly available means to definitively confirm an actual parkinsonian condition (DaTscan).

And, with his ET being 8 times more common than PD, incessant claims of “PD reversal” remain HIGHLY dubious and help no one. Until JP presents the results of a positive DaTscan (indicating a genuine parkinsonian condition), a healthy dose of skepticism is the best medicine.

[Kimbo1962 in reply to PDConscience]

I have personally met John Pepper in Cape Town and your statement that he was never diagnosed by a single qualified neurologist is just ridiculous. Why on Earth you would slam a man who gives of his time and assistance freely is beyond me. When my husband was diagnosed 2 years ago, he met with us at his home within 24 hours to offer support and advice, clearly he has struggles with PD but overcomes them with exactly what he advocates. Why you would write something like this is just mean and unhelpful, whatever anybody offers in ways of giving anybody hope with PD is what matters and what works for them may just be the solution to making it easier for others. It is a proven fact that exercise and walking helps with PD. In light of The Brain’s Way of Healing, Norman Doidge describes how John Pepper consciously retrained his movements to overcome his foot drag and tremor and met with his neurologist. So your statements are nothing short of slander.

[PDConscience in reply to Kimbo1962]

Kimbo... if you're not capable of processing the words actually written, you should resist the urge to comment on them. My statement, "his claims of PD 'reversal' have NEVER been supported by a single qualified neurologist", remains accurate.

In a bumbling sort of way, however, you add further validation to my main point. Through your first-hand eyewitness observation that, "clearly he has struggles with PD", you provide the exclamation point to my central statement that his book and his obsessive claims of "PD reversal" amount to pure fraud - thanks!

[Kimbo1962 in reply to PDConscience]

Your negativity is astounding.....in light of what we all face....truly disappointing.....you missed the whole point....I would prefer not to have someone of your calibre being my PD conscience. I would tread carefully on the “fraud” if I was you....the struggle over PD is a continuous struggle and the reversal of symptoms an ongoing battle...JP has never claimed to be cured but reversed the PD through the walking and retraining of the brain....you ignoramous ...If you gave one percent of encouragement and hope to others that John does maybe you could be in a position to criticize....

Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.”

[PDConscience in reply to Kimbo1962]

Sanctimony serves as a feeble cover for rank ignorance. It's universally understood and accepted as fact that careful attention to diet, lifestyle, and exercise (whether it be JP's miraculous fast-walking routine or other) can mitigate PD symptoms. It's not an epic newsflash requiring a 'sage' like JP to decipher for clueless minions.

Beyond JP and yourself, however, very few people would define this temporary relief/improvement of symptoms as disease "reversal". Fewer still would have the audacity to write a book fallaciously titled "Reserve Parkinson's Disease" based entirely upon this transient improvement. Such rank ignorance requires a special breed of character which - despite carrying a certain appeal to fragile minds - benefits no one.

[Hikoi]

This is another video showing the effect music has on this man’s gait. At first he walks as he usually does, hestitantly and slight shuffle, then he repeats the walk only this time to music. The music has a rhythm with a strong beat, this 8s what i find useful when i walk holding my husbands arm, i get into his walk rhythm and walk much better.

youtu.be/Dr4-HGffTrk(Not working as expected?)

[Serenity_finaly-1 in reply to Hikoi]

You have discovered my secret. Music with a strong beat.

[JANVAN]

Very interesting !!! Check this out also >>>> Videos of Dr. Dwight Jennings, Dr. Brendan Stack, Dr. Demerjian who have some "special" videos about Parkinson and improvement of the strength (more via a neurological way).

And don't forget amalgam - fillings and heavy metal contamination....

Since a couple of days I'm doing again some strength exercises, your right, you have to keep the muscle in some condition, because (I'm left-handed and I have the symptoms on my right site) they getting so quickly weak (certainly in my case....)

A lot of hopefully greetings

Jan.

[Hikoi]

Jan i wish it were otherwise but I now have no amalgam in my teeth. Its removal has made no difference to me at all.

[Getz]

Thanks for that. Gives me great hope and so simple to do.