A new review study has found that any kind of physical exercise can help people with Parkinson’s disease improve their movement symptoms and quality of life.
Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that mostly affects people over the age of 60, and it can cause problems with movement, balance, coordination, and cognitive function.
While the disease cannot be cured, physiotherapy and exercise can help to alleviate symptoms.
The current review analyzed 156 studies involving 7,939 people from around the world.
It found that various types of exercise, including dance, water-based exercise, strength and resistance exercise, and endurance exercise, as well as tai chi, yoga, and physiotherapy, all made strong improvements to the severity of movement-related symptoms and quality of life.
The average age of the participants in the studies was between 60 and 74 years, and most had mild to moderate disease with no major cognitive impairment.
The team says that the results were good news because they showed that people with Parkinson’s disease could benefit from a range of structured exercise programs.
However, the exact type of exercise was secondary, and personal preferences should be considered to help motivate people to adhere to an exercise program.
While the review highlights the importance of physical exercise in general, the authors note that certain motor symptoms may be treated most effectively by programs designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s disease, such as physiotherapy.
Although the review’s results are promising, the team urges researchers to conduct larger studies with clearly defined samples to draw more confident conclusions.
They also suggest studying people with more advanced diseases and thinking impairments to see if physical exercise can benefit them as well.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about Vitamin E that may help prevent Parkinson’s, and Vitamin D could benefit people with Parkinson’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about a new way to treat Parkinson’s, and results showing flavonoid-rich foods could improve survival in Parkinson’s.
The study was conducted by Dr. Elke Kalbe et al and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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