Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological condition that affects muscle movement. Messages between the brain and muscles are distorted, causing difficulty and discomfort while moving the limbs or body. People with Parkinson’s find it difficult and painful to move, and to perform daily tasks. 

Neurological Deficits 

A neurological deficit affects the brain, spinal cord, and/or peripheral nerves. In a neurological deficit, messages between the brain and muscles are damaged. An example of this is a disease like Parkinson’s that damages the nerve cells in the brain that signal your muscles to move. Because of this brain to muscle disconnect, your limbs are affected, slowing or affecting your movement. 

When you have Parkinson’s, your movement and gait are adversely affected. This causes disruptions when you walk, weak muscles, muscle spasms and tremors, and difficulty when you walk and move. 

Neurological Physical Therapy

Neurological physical therapy is a type of physiotherapy with a focus on managing and treating neurological deficits. Since Parkinson’s is a neurological deficit, neurological physical therapy can improve the quality of your life. 

The purpose of neurological physical therapy is: 

• Rehabilitate the muscles and body 
• Slow down the physical deterioration associated with Parkinson’s
• Improve quality of life 

Balanced Gait PT has a comprehensive list of physical therapy services for patients who have neurological disorders including:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Stroke
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Balanced disorders
• Vestibular disorders 

About Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity of the brain is also called brain plasticity. This is a process where the brain can actually build or rebuild neural networks to improve symptoms of Parkinson’s! Working with the brain’s plasticity, neurological physical therapy helps in brain synapse growth and networking. 

In Parkinson’s, your brain has difficulty creating new pathways. Doing repetitive actions and exercises that neurological physical therapy offers will help reduce or eliminate your Parkinson’s movement symptoms. 

About Neurological Physical Therapy Services 

Neurological Physical Therapy Services in Commack at Balanced Gait help your brain rebuild, or create, new pathways to your muscles. Training your brain and muscle simultaneously and often helps synapses form. 

Symptoms of Parkinson’s can be treated with customized neurological physical therapy services. Whatever stage your Parkinson’s is at, there is a program that Dr. Susan can create for you and assist you with. 

Dr. Susan is a neurological physical therapy specialist. She will work with you to provide you with customized neurological physical therapy services. 

Types of Neurological Physical Therapy

Everyone’s body is different, and your stage of Parkinson’s will affect you in a certain way. Your physiotherapist will carry out an assessment to find out what stage of Parkinson’s you have, your symptoms, and your goals. 

Neurological physical therapy services are customized for your specific muscle and body needs and goals. Overall, the goal of neurological physical therapy is to improve your ability to perform everyday tasks and to be as independent as possible. 

Neurological physical therapy services will include exercises to strengthen the muscles and limbs to perform daily tasks. [3] These daily activities could include walking, going up and down the stairs, lifting small objects, eating a meal, or being able to move in your own bed with ease! 

To build your muscles and neurological connections, you will engage in neurological physical therapy programs that tap into your body and brain. 

Neurological physical therapy for Parkinson’s will involve:

• stretching of your muscles and limbs
• improving your balance and gait
• focus on gross motor skills 

Benefits of Neurological Physical Therapy 

Neurological Physical Therapy Services in Commack offer you numerous benefits. 

Some of the benefits of neurological physical therapy services include:

• Creating precise and targeted movements to rehabilitate muscles 
• Help the body and muscles learn normal patterns of movement again
• Focus on everyday activities such as lifting, chewing, swallowing
• Increase muscle strength
• Improve range of movement
• Train gross and/or fine motor skills
• Helping with posture
• Steadying balance
• Reduce spasticity and contractions of the muscles  
• Increase fitness endurance
• Improve breathing
• Greatly decrease risk of falling
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Relieve pain
• Increase independence