The effect of physical therapy on balance of patients with Parkinson's disease

Physical therapy can improve performance of balance tests in patients with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a chronic progressive neurological disturbance with significant effect on movements, cognitive functions, autonomous systems and psychosocial activities. The effects of physical therapy are rarely reported and not sufficiently studied. This prospective study comprised 40 persons with stage III Parkinson's disease, according to Hoehn and Yahr (1967) aged over 50 years and 20 healthy controls of the same age. Patients were medically stable and had no other neurological deficits, postural hypotensia, visual disturbances or musculo-skeletal deficits. Balance tests before and after physical therapy were analysed according to Smithson et al., 1998. Balance tests in patients with Parkinson's disease resulted in significant differences of values for tandem stance, one leg stance, step test and external perturbation when compared to the controls, and between groups with and without failing tendency. Tandem stance, one leg stance, step test and external perturbation can be used for differentiation between groups with and without a tendency to fall. Physical therapy resulted in significant improvement of these tests in both the groups analysed. Systematic application of physical therapy, as part of team treatment, improves the balance of patients with Parkinson's disease. (C) 2004 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.