What about medications?
Do you know what you're taking and why?
The American Parkinson's Disease Association has created a simple table explaining the most widely used pharmacological treatments for Parkinson's disease in the United States. Click the link to learn!
Watch my P4P training in process
The clients below each underwent a 6 week exercise training program using the P4P Method. Each session was video recorded and documented with SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) notes. Each participant is in a different stage of Parkinson's disease, and therefore the P4P training program provided an appropriate starting point based on stage of disease, to address their needs and goals.
Robert, Anthony and Devi, the clients, agreed to participate voluntarily and share their process. Neither Robert nor Anthony have ever experienced Pilates exercises. Devi has been doing Pilates exercises with P4P programming for the last 4 years. Below are the highlights of their training process, and a little bit about each client. Pilates for Parkinson's is privileged and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with each client in their PD journey. Thank you for entrusting P4P with your exercise needs.
ROBERT
Robert is 36 years old and has been living with Parkinson's disease since his symptoms began at age 5. At the time, no doctor could figure out what was wrong with his health since "no one thinks of Parkinson's when it comes to a child..." (Pam Alvarado). Additionally, Robert had a stroke during his teenage years, and has some cognitive impairment.
At this stage in his condition, his brain does not produce any Dopamine and he is 100% reliant on pharmacological treatment and a DBS for disbursement. Despite these tremendous challenges, neither Robert nor his family have relented for one moment in their fight against PD. He also has a caring staff who have learned the P4P exercises and will continue to support him daily. Robert is extremely self motivated, he loves ice cream, WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), Gangster stories, Rap music, and working out! Robert continues to defy the odds of a life with Parkinson's disease. Even his neurologist of 30 years has capitulated to letting Robert dictate how Robert will continue forward living with PD.
Mid-Late Stage PD client begins P4P training (VIDEO 1)
7/7/20 - Pilates 4 Parkinson’s 1st session
This client has also suffered a stroke as a child and has some cognitive impairment. With PD symptoms beginning at age 5, and finally diagnosed with Juvenile Parkinson’s disease at the age of 9, Robert is STILL defying all the odds now living with PD at the age of 36. This is the first time he is experiencing these types of exercises.
When he began sessions he was extremely tight, flexed posture, left side with hypertonic flexion of left elbow joint, left foot hypotonic & foot drop on left side as the result of the stroke.
7/14/20
Myofascial release through plantar fascia, uprighting posture with various props, Cross arm coordination with Core stability training on soft roller, hinge stretch.
7/23 - 7/25
Chest expansion seated on stability ball to train core & proximal stability using PaKua stretching techniques, lateral flexion with stability ball over head. The client tends to upright himself better with feedback from a prop.
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Coordination ball bouncing from changing angles (trainer moving) to generate torso rotation and work balance under perturbation.
7/28
Continue with overhead reach, lateral flexion from kneeling. Repeating most all movements from different levels & various props to spur creation of new neural pathways.
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First time back extension over stability ball with support from couch. This client is progressing in his degree of upper thoracic flexibility.
7/30
Continue working upright posture with sit to stand & new prop overhead to layer neuroplasticity, first time spinal rotation stretch from supine, preparation for single leg stretch.
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Work from quadruped position, hold legs on stability ball using core stabilization musculature, first time long bridge from stability ball to strengthen posterior chain. Halfway thru training, now able to lift body while stabilizing from core.
P4P Method: Stimulate, Progress, Return, Repeat - find SPACE
Mid to Late Stage PD continues P4P program (VIDEO 2)
8/1
Robert continues his Pilates training, and with access to a Pilates Reformer was able to do some closed chain strength training with support. He continues to work with various props, progressing from seated on a stability ball to standing to standing and walking while holding a prop overhead to cue uprightness. This is the most upright he has ever been, according to his mother who was shocked and thrilled at the same time.
8/4
Coordination of hand and eye. Gentle supportive stretching of the left arm (which was affected by the stroke), and knee lifts.
8/6
Shoulder mobility (arm circles while stabilizing his legs through his core on a stability ball), leg stretches with an elastic band. Working with rolling movement from supine to prone and back using the Neurodevelopmental sequence.
8/8
Use of the Pilates Spine Corrector apparatus to do lateral flexion. Seated on the stability ball progressing through basic stretches of the spine using the Lolita San Miguel beginning mobility sequence.
Continued work on the Spine Corrector for back extension and chest expansion. Continue with knee lifts. Use of a light kettlebell for some chest presses (Robert loves weight lifting and
brought the kettlebell as an auxiliary training tool to keep him interested and motivated).
Progression: knee lifts, to standing toe taps, to alternating leg toe taps to step ups, to step up with arm reach. The grand finale of this progression was truly remarkable when you observe the length and opening of the left side arm reach (impaired by a prior stroke), and a fully erect stand on the box. He was very proud of himself, and so were we!
8/11 - 8/15
Bridging & a better standing strategy. Prone arm/leg lifts - VERY difficult!
Robert works cognitively by listing his favorite WWE wrestlers (which improves the fluidity of his coordination), and chats about gangsters and rap music, so we coined his training:
“Fighting Parkinson’s Gangsta Style!” That’s Robert, with support from P4P.