Parkinson's Disease
Physical Therapy and Seniors: A Way to Get Back on Track
13/11/10 08:51
Physical Therapy a Boon for Seniors
Would you believe in a non-drug treatment that works for arthritis, cancer pain, Parkinson's, and incontinence and improves your strength and endurance? There is one -- physical therapy.
WebMD Feature
When a person gets injured or has a prolonged illness, doctors often recommend physical therapy. In the case of older people, though, sometimes this is seen as just something to "try." This could not be further from the truth. Physical therapy is "A-quality" therapy for many conditions affecting older people, from Alzheimer's to urinary incontinence. In fact, one researcher did a study in which you had to be 100 years of age to even participate!
According to Jennifer M. Bottomley, PhD, MS, PT, president of the geriatrics section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and adviser to the surgeon general, one of the main things that brings older people to the physical therapist is a fall. "They want and need to maintain their independence," she says.
"It's important to look at each individual," stresses Tim Kauffman, PT, PhD, professor of physical therapy at the Hahnemann campus of Drexel University in Philadelphia. "Every person of any age has an individual background, say an auto accident, football injury, genetic predispositions. No two 'old' people are the same."
According to APTA, physical therapy can restore or increase strength, range of motion, flexibility, coordination, and endurance -- as well as reduce pain. Another important role is to retrain the patient to do everyday tasks.
*For original article:
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/physical-therapy-benefits-for-seniors
Would you believe in a non-drug treatment that works for arthritis, cancer pain, Parkinson's, and incontinence and improves your strength and endurance? There is one -- physical therapy.
WebMD Feature
When a person gets injured or has a prolonged illness, doctors often recommend physical therapy. In the case of older people, though, sometimes this is seen as just something to "try." This could not be further from the truth. Physical therapy is "A-quality" therapy for many conditions affecting older people, from Alzheimer's to urinary incontinence. In fact, one researcher did a study in which you had to be 100 years of age to even participate!
According to Jennifer M. Bottomley, PhD, MS, PT, president of the geriatrics section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and adviser to the surgeon general, one of the main things that brings older people to the physical therapist is a fall. "They want and need to maintain their independence," she says.
"It's important to look at each individual," stresses Tim Kauffman, PT, PhD, professor of physical therapy at the Hahnemann campus of Drexel University in Philadelphia. "Every person of any age has an individual background, say an auto accident, football injury, genetic predispositions. No two 'old' people are the same."
According to APTA, physical therapy can restore or increase strength, range of motion, flexibility, coordination, and endurance -- as well as reduce pain. Another important role is to retrain the patient to do everyday tasks.
*For original article:
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/physical-therapy-benefits-for-seniors
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Latest Research on Early Detection for Parkinson's
09/11/10 19:50
This is the latest news from the Parkinson Research Foundation
OTTAWA — High cholesterol levels predict heart disease. High blood-sugarlevels can predict diabetes. But no single test exists to predict whowill develop Parkinson's disease, the second leading brain-wastingdisorder behind Alzheimer's.
Now, a decade-long effort whichstarted at Harvard University and continued in Ottawa, has yielded amethod that, in principle, could identify people at risk of developing adisease that afflicts an estimated 150,000 Canadians.
The storybehind this finding shows why progress toward preventing or curingParkinson's has been so slow. It also highlights how recent advances inAlzheimer's research served as a model for what some researchers havealready dubbed "the Ottawa test" for Parkinson's.
For complete article:
http://www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org/Research.aspx
OTTAWA — High cholesterol levels predict heart disease. High blood-sugarlevels can predict diabetes. But no single test exists to predict whowill develop Parkinson's disease, the second leading brain-wastingdisorder behind Alzheimer's.
Now, a decade-long effort whichstarted at Harvard University and continued in Ottawa, has yielded amethod that, in principle, could identify people at risk of developing adisease that afflicts an estimated 150,000 Canadians.
The storybehind this finding shows why progress toward preventing or curingParkinson's has been so slow. It also highlights how recent advances inAlzheimer's research served as a model for what some researchers havealready dubbed "the Ottawa test" for Parkinson's.
For complete article:
http://www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org/Research.aspx
Parkinson's Disease and How Physical Therapy Can Help
26/10/10 14:33
Approximately, 1 million people over the age of 50 have Parkinson’s Disease. Although physical therapy can’t completely cure Parkinson’s Disease, it can be a great method to alleviate many of the symptoms that come with this debilitating condition.
Here are a few areas PT can help you or a loved one:
* Balance issues
* Immobility
* Gait
* Weakness
* Pain
* Fatigue
* For original article, go to http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/physical-occupational-therapy
Here are a few areas PT can help you or a loved one:
* Balance issues
* Immobility
* Gait
* Weakness
* Pain
* Fatigue
* For original article, go to http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/physical-occupational-therapy