Beyond the Break
Physical Therapy Helps With Stroke Recovery, Parkinson’s, and More
In TV dramas, physical therapists often urge the hero back into action. Usually, their patient has suffered some dramatic injury, like breaking every bone in the right side of their body or losing a leg to a rampaging horse. And while many physical therapists do specialize in helping athletes recover from injuries, applications for the practice go well beyond that stereotype. People battling the aftereffects of a stroke or suffering from long- term ailments like Parkinson’s disease can also benefit from regular physical
Parkinson’s disease afflicts the central nervous system and makes movement difficult, and its symptoms can also be mitigated by physical therapy. Denise Padilla-Davidson, a Johns Hopkins
physical therapist who treats people with Parkinson’s, recommends PT to her patients for improving their balance, strength, and flexibility. Specifically, bike or elliptical exercises can help those with Parkinson’s remaster reciprocal patterns (movements from side to side or left to right). There’s also a form of therapy called LSVT BIG, which involves performing exaggerated physical movements, and it can help those with the disease stave off hypokinesia, which is the decrease of movement that becomes more severe as Parkinson’s progresses. Similar physical therapy programs can be adapted for those with other chronic diseases, like multiple sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease, by
therapy sessions. In fact, the National Stroke Association lists a physical therapist as a vital member of any stroke recovery team, placing them alongside experts like dietitians, psychiatrists, neurologists,
slowing the disease’s progress and making the people who have them more capable and comfortable. Of course, treatments vary on a case-to- case basis, so be sure to consult your doctor before starting PT.
and speech-language pathologists. In those cases, physical therapists are on hand to help stroke survivors with movement and balance issues and to recommend exercises that rebuild strong muscles for walking, standing, and other everyday activities.
s s f o r On Saturday, Aug. 17, the Burien Wellness Fair returns! Lake Burien PT will have a booth set up at the event, and we’ll be talking about physical therapy and pain management. Of course, good health and wellness is so much more than PT and managing pain. It’s about looking at the whole picture. A lot of people only visit their doctor, medical practitioner, or physical therapist when something is wrong. They’re sick or experiencing a new pain right then and there. They see their doctor and then don’t return until they have to. The same can be said for mental health: People put off seeing a psychiatrist or therapist until they absolutely have to. The truth is that you need to take a proactive, preventive, and holistic approach to better health and wellness. You have to look at your body and mind as a whole and collaborate with health and wellness professionals in order to make the best decisions for your mental well- being. This can look like different things for different people. It might mean regular appointments with your doctor and getting lab work done. Labs can be crucial to knowing what’s going on inside your body. If anything is off, like elevated blood pressure or cholesterol, you can do something about it.
In addition to seeing your doctor, caring for your health may mean regular visits to your physical therapist to identify sources of pain, or keeping pain in check so you can continue doing what you love. You may also have a dietitian or naturopathic doctor in the mix to ensure you’re eating and drinking the best foods and beverages for your body, especially if you have specific nutritional goals in mind. It’s all about knowing what’s going on inside your body. A huge part of living healthy and living well is knowledge. The more you know about yourself, the better you can take care of yourself. After all, we only get one body, and it’s important to take care of it. If we treat our bodies well now, they will treat us better as we age.
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