Physiotherapy As Potential Treatment For Parkinson’s Disease

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Physiotherapy As Potential Treatment For
Parkinsons Disease
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• Sufferers of Parkinsons Disease gained new hope
  this month after members of the University of
  Birmingham published the results of a
  meta-analysis in the BMJ. The data suggests that
  physiotherapy could generate a marked improvement
  on the symptoms of Parkinsons sufferers.
• Claire Tomlinson and her colleagues conducted a
  study spread across 39 trials, with over 1800
  participants. The studies were then followed up
  over three months. Participants in various
  experimental groups were given a range of
  treatments including physiotherapy, placebo
  therapies and no physical therapy at all.

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• The results show definite promise. Of the
  twenty-nine groups studied in the meta-analysis,
  eighteen demonstrated notable improvements to
  characteristics including improvements to gait,
  balance, mobility, mental well-being,
  patient-rated quality of life and clinician-rated
  disability. Nine of these eighteen displayed
  significant improvement.
• The final verdict on the study is that it
  indicates definitely potential. However, given
  the relatively small size of the sample group and
  the focus on short-term effects, its difficult
  to say with any real degree of surety that
  physiotherapy will have a significant and
  long-term effect on Parkinsons Disease patients.
  Before any changes to the practice can be
  pursued, further studies will be required. Visit
  Dorset Physio website for more info.