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I have two putting greens in my backyard and I'm hoping focusing on the holes will help my balance some. Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] -------------------------------------------------- From: "Nic Marais" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 12:26 AM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: External focus improves postural instability > Interesting... So, we must focus on the floor not moving...;-) > > Nic 57/15 > > > On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 6:19 AM, rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> External focus improves postural stability in patients with Parkinson's >> disease >> March 26th, 2009 >> >> ALEXANDRIA, VA - Patients with Parkinson disease may be able to improve >> their postural stability by directing their attention to the external >> effects of their movements rather than to the movements of their own >> body, >> according to a study published in the February 2009 issue of Physical >> Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy >> Association >> (APTA). >> >> Adults with Parkinson disease are at greater risk for posture and balance >> impairments. These conditions may lead to falls, resulting in head >> injuries >> and fractures, which can end with hospitalization and further mobility >> limitations. Approximately 90 percent of people with Parkinson disease >> will >> fall at some point during their lives.1 In the past 12 months, two-thirds >> of >> patients with Parkinson disease reported a fall.2 >> >> According to physical therapist researcher and APTA spokesperson Merrill >> Landers, PT, DPT, OCS, "of the major motor signs of Parkinson disease, >> postural instability is the least responsive to medication. It is crucial >> that physical therapists continue to develop effective rehabilitation >> strategies to address this issue." >> >> Lead researcher Gabriele Wulf, PhD, and her team observed 14 adults with >> idiopathic Parkinson disease as they balanced on an unstable surface (an >> inflated rubber disk) under three attentional focus conditions -- >> external >> focus, internal focus, and a control condition. >> >> Patients were instructed to either focus on reducing movements of the >> rubber disk (external focus) or movements of their feet (internal focus), >> or >> they were not given attentional focus instructions (control condition). >> The >> results were consistent with previous findings on attentional focus, >> which >> showed that directing attention to the effects of an individual's >> movement >> on the environment (external focus) improved postural stability, compared >> with internal focus and control conditions, during standing for >> individuals >> with Parkinson disease. >> >> "In the past 12 years or so, numerous studies have been done - many of >> them >> involving healthy adults learning sport skills - and it has consistently >> been found that individuals perform and learn motor skills more >> effectively >> when they are instructed to adopt an external focus. Other studies have >> shown that those advantages generalize to people after stroke as well as >> to >> the rehabilitation of ankle sprains, for example. This is a very reliable >> effect, and the current study demonstrates that persons with Parkinson >> disease benefit from an external attentional focus as well," Wulf >> explained. >> >> "Findings from this study not only have the potential to enhance the >> rehabilitation strategies of physical therapists working with patients >> with >> Parkinson disease, but may ultimately give patients with postural >> instability more control over their lives through the use of strategies >> that >> help them manage their own balance safely and effectively," said Rebecca >> Lewthwaite, PhD, of Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a >> co-author on the study. >> >> Rayilyn Brown >> Director AZNPF >> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation >> [log in to unmask] >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: >> [log in to unmask] >> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn >> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn