To All of you nice people who took the time and concern to respond to my "Freezing and Falling" question, I thank you. Please keep those cards and letters coming. Eddy --- "Nina P. Brown" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > The following is an article I wrote for our support > group in > Houston. > It may give you a few ideas. > nina > > I'M FREEZING…AND IT'S NOT EVEN > COLD! > > Nina Brown > > To the uninitiated, freezing might refer to the > temperature, > but if you have Parkinson's, "freezing," a > temporary, > involuntary inability to move, is a symptom where > your feet feel > as if they are stuck to the ground. It is sometimes > referred to > as "start hesitation" or "gait initiation failure" > and can occur > when you begin walking, while walking, when turning, > in doorways > and upon entering a confined space. This condition > can last > anywhere from a few seconds to many minutes. > "Freezing" is a > difficult symptom to treat but your neurologist may > be able to > alter your medications (possibly add a dopaminergic > agonist such > as Permax, Parlodel, Mirapex or Requip) and/or > adjust your > medication scheduling to help control this problem. > > Walking in general is more problematic for a > person with > Parkinson's because of the slowness, the diminished > arm swing > and the shuffle that comes from not raising your > feet or toes > high enough off the floor. The stooped posture > affects your > balance as your center of gravity shifts forward > with the upper > part of your body preceding the lower part as you > walk. In > order to catch up with your center of gravity and > regain > balance, the tendency to take increasingly faster, > shorter and > more frequent steps, known as "festination" occurs. > "Propulsion" occurs when you try to run forward to > catch up to > avoid falling. "Retropulsion" takes place when you > feel pulled > or forced to run backwards to recover your balance. > As you > might imagine, falling becomes the biggest concern > when your > body continues moving and your feet stop. > > Older bones tend to break easier, so it's > important to keep > them strong with weight bearing exercises and the > proper diet. > Stretching and range of motion exercises can also > help combat > muscular rigidity and keep your joints from becoming > immobile. > > Falls are not only dangerous to your physical > health but > your mental health as well. Fearful of falling > again, many > people stay close to home, abandoning exercise > routines and > social pursuits, but withdrawal from activities is > the worst way > to prevent another fall. (And anxiety also > increases the > tendency to freeze.) A fall to the floor doesn't > need to be a > fall into isolation or depression. If you've been > hurt from a > fall, it's important to get out even if you need to > use a cane > or a walker. Just pay careful attention to the > threat of > "freezing" or being off balance and don't make any > reckless > movements. > > You need to think about every step you take. > Walking is no > longer an automatic function. Actions that were > once routine > become a challenge because your muscles aren't > getting > instructions from your brain to move and therefore > don't respond > to your need to move. It can be very frustrating > when familiar > tasks must be constantly relearned and given such > disproportionate amounts of concentration; but > attitude and > exercise are vital to your well-being, so approach > this > challenge with spirit and determination and fight to > keep as > much mobility as you possibly can. Don't become > discouraged. > Some days it's just easier to move than other days. > Resolve to > maintain a "can do" regarding attitude and a "will > do" regarding > exercise. If you do fall down, at least it proves > you were on > your feet and moving. > > * * * * > > EXERCISES > > Abracadabra…or a few tricks for better balance > and some > techniques to overcome freezing when your head won't > tell your > feet to take that first step. > > For better balance: practice the ancient > martial art of > Tai Chi (pronounced tie-chee). Tai chi consists of > more than > 100 flowing, dance-like movements of "postures" or > "forms" that > resemble ballet in slow motion, performed while you > concentrate > single-mindedly on your movements and your > breathing. The > concentration required has been likened to > "meditation with > motion." Taken together, the forms are designed to > work all of > your limbs and muscles. Since it's a no-impact form > of > exercise, it's much better for bones and joints that > can't > withstand the jarring from high-impact activities. > The > continuous, smooth, gentle movements have been said > to > strengthen the motor skills impacted by PD. It is > also > particularly helpful in decreasing tremor because > Tai Chi > reduces stress and the muscles relax. > > Dr. Timothy C. Hain, a neurologist and associate > professor > at Northwestern University Medical School, conducted > a study > examining the potential benefits of tai chi on some > patients > with Parkinson's. His results were overwhelmingly > positive. > Hain said, "We think it is possible that tai chi can > not only > restore balance but eventually make it better than > normal." In > addition to preventing falls, other benefits > included increased > strength (especially in the thighs, buttocks and > calves) and > flexibility (working a full range of motion without > straining > the joints or connective tissues) as well as better > posture. > > More suggestions for better balance: > > Ø Stand with your hands on your hips, feet spread > apart: > Ø Practice marching in place > Ø Practice raising your leg straight out behind you. > Ø Practice raising your leg out to the side. > Ø Practice drawing a circle with your leg. > Ø Stand with your hands at your side, feet spread > apart: > Ø Lean forward and backwards. > Ø Lean to both sides. > Ø Lean in a circular motion and reverse the motion. > > To help alleviate freezing: > > Ø Start by maintaining an upright, tall stance, > moving your > body's center of gravity backward so it runs > straight up and > down through the spine, legs and ankles. > Ø Use your imagination. Dr. Dwight C. McGoon, a > Mayo Clinic > surgeon, pretends he has a rocking chair leg > attached to each of > his legs, and that a proper step requires that the > back end of > the rocker touch the floor on the forward step and > the front end > of the rocker touch the floor before the step is > completed. > Ø Exaggerate your step. Imagine a point on the > floor about two > feet ahead. Make that first step as long a stride > as possible > because subsequent steps tend to shorten. > Ø Rock from side to side to initiate a marching in > place step. > Ø March like a soldier with a stiff-legged, > long-striding > military gait. > Ø Swing your arms up above your head, then bring > them down > sharply to your side 2 or 3 times. > Ø Walk sideways > Ø Take a quick step backwards. > Ø Watch other people walk. > Ø If you hesitate walking through doors, focus on an > object past > the doorframe. > Ø Step over an imaginary object on the ground, or > use a cane or > another person's foot, tile or carpet patterns. Make > a path at > night with white socks on carpet or white tape on a > hard floor. > Ø Alternate the distribution of your body weight. > Ø Have someone rhythmically pull or push or raise > your knee. > Ø Stamp your feet > Ø A sudden sound such as a clap may break a freeze. > Ø Walk to music to increase speed of motion and > improve rhythm. > Ø Make wider turns to decrease the chance of getting > your feet > entangled and falling. > Ø It helps to count each step. You're less likely > to freeze if > you know how many steps it takes to get from the > bedroom to the > bathroom. > Ø Avoid clutter. Keep floor areas free of shoes and > other > objects to reduce the risk of a fall. > Ø If you need a walker for balance, using one with > wheels (with > automatic locking mechanisms) will allow for a more > normal > walking pattern than standard ones. [Hint: if > tremors make the > walker unsteady, try weighting the lower bars by > tying on socks > filled with pennies.] > > > > Eddy Arden wrote: > > > To the group... > > During the past few weeks my wife has experienced > > unusually severe and prolonged bouts of " > Freezing", > > which in tern is causing numerous, and needless to > > say, painful cases of falling. > > If anyone out there has had any sucess in > overcoming > > this problem, or diminishing it in any way, we > would > > certainly appreciate your advice. Thank you. > > Edward Arden > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of > Products. > > http://shopping.yahoo.com/ > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/