Parkinson's Disease: Short Steps and Sticky Feet...What to Do...
One common issue we observe in people with Parkinson's disease is a shortened stride length. As the disease progresses, steps become increasingly shorter rather than maintaining a normal length.
This happens because the brain of someone with Parkinson's disease has a distorted awareness of stride length. For example, if I take a step that is about two feet long, someone with Parkinson's may perceive that step as four feet long. Since the brain interprets the step as too long, it automatically reduces the stride length.
Over time, even short steps are perceived as excessively long, leading the brain to shorten them further. This cycle continues, resulting in progressively smaller steps.
Fortunately, there are strategies to address this issue. Feel free to reach out to us for guidance and support.
Furthermore, a common question we receive is, "How can I work on my freezing gait if I have Parkinson's disease?"
Freezing gait is the experience where, while walking with Parkinson's disease, your feet feel stuck or frozen to the floor. You may be telling your feet to move, but they simply don't respond, even as the rest of your body continues to move forward or sideways.
When this happens, I always recommend stopping for at least 5 to 10 seconds. This pause allows your central nervous system to reset.
After that, your next step is to march through the process. Instead of focusing on stepping, think of marching by lifting your knees rather than your feet. This action engages the larger muscles in your hips to help with the stepping motion, which often breaks the freezing cycle.
Remember, stopping briefly to reset is crucial for this technique to work effectively.
For more Parkinson's Disease related support and free advice, please go to our website:
Call or text: 1-888-929-7677
Related Blog: https://www.achievarehab.com/single-post/transforming-lives-with-achieva-rehabilitation-a-case-study-parkinson-s-disease
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