Maintaining mobility in Parkinson’s patients,

A hot topic brought to you by SpecialtyRx, your partner in long-term care

A recent study out of Kyoto University in Japan discovered that adding two hours of moderate exercise to weekly routines may help patients in early-stage Parkinson’s disease.

The additional exercise was shown to extend key physical functioning as well help maintain cognitive health. Over a five-year period it showed that patients who included activities such as walking had less trouble with balance, walking and doing daily activities over their less active peers. Cognitive testing was also improved in the more active study participants.

Those who got a minimum of four hours a week of moderate to vigorous exercise, such as walking or dancing showed even better results. Patients’ activity level at the beginning of the study had no effect on the progression of the disease, showing that beginning an exercise program, at any phase of the disease, could be beneficial. According to the results, it appears that maintaining an exercise program was the key factor and not when exercise begins.

“At SpecialtyRx we believe that exercise, in conjunction with proper medications, plays an integral role in the well being of all LTC patients which is why we encourage our clients to take a holistic approach to caring for their residents,” stated Joe Kubulak, Chief Operating Officer.