Evaluation of rehabilitation of patients suffering from parkinsonism

Aniela Zawistowska, Wirginia Cytowicz-Karpiłowska, Bohdan Karpiłowski

Aniela Zawistowska, Wirginia Cytowicz-Karpiłowska, Bohdan Karpiłowski – Evaluation of rehabilitation of patients suffering from parkinsonism. Fizjoterapia Polska 2006; 6(2); 133-137

Abstract

Background. The purpose of the observation and analysis was to evaluate the effects of rehabilitation treatment of patients suffering from Parkinsonism treated in Olsztyńskie Stowarzyszenie Chorych na Parkinsona. According to the Hoehn-Yahr scale those were the patients in the 3rd stage of the disease. Material and methods. 32 patients were studied: 13 women and 19 men in the age of 47-81. The rehabilitation programme of the author comprised manual exercise, such as object gripping, moving objects in space, tackling objects, and refining day-to-day activities and writing. Other types of exercise was also applied: breathing exercise, stretching, relaxing exercise, coordination exercise, balance exercise, face expression exercise and gait correction exercise. The gait correction programme started with adopting the standing position, correcting it, and then balancing from one foot to the other, marching in different directions, and overcoming the obstacles. They underwent the non-pharmacological rehabilitation treatment for 6 months. Before the programme was started and after it was concluded we evaluated such symptoms as: tremor, motor slow down, gait, manual abilities and handwriting. Results. The observation of the above symptoms before and after the rehabilitation treatment shows the symptoms alleviation. In all of the cases the difference is statistically significant. Conclusions. After the six-months period of rehabilitation there is a significant difference in gait, less symptoms of motor slow down, improvement in manual abilities, less tremor and improvement in handwriting. All those achievements have more or less influence on fighting the anxiety and depression.

Key words:
Parkinsonism, rehabilitation method, effects
Invalid download ID. Pobierz bezpłatnie artykuł w j. angielskim