Print

Print


Mark,
 
I finally was able to speak to my father-in-law
last night concernining his strength & balance
exercises.  I hope this helps your dissertation
on the subject:
 
Alex is in his mid-70's and is probably in stage 1.
He has had PD diagnosed for about 3 years and is
on sinemet.  He does experience confusion and defiant
behavior on a daily basis but most of the time he
is very coherent and livable.  He does have a problem
taking the medicine on schedule (usually too soon)
and we feel this is a main cause for his confusion,
etc.
 
He began physical therapy about 3 months ago to keep
his body in as good a shape as possible.  It does seem
to be helpful as his condition does appear fairly
stable with slow PD progression.
 
For balance he does side-step, leg cross-over and
work on a PT devise called a CAT.
 
For strength, he has mainly concentrated on the legs
and includes leg-lifts, leg-curls, and squats.  They
involve use of a weight machine, a looped rubber hose,
and ankle weights.
 
He is still looking for a local facility to go to to
work out in that is geared to his ability.  AVic
Tanny would be too aggressive and he requires spotting
and set-up help.
 
Mark, if you would like to speak to him personally,
let me know.  He is a retired GP and would probably
enjoy the conversation.
 
Regards,
 
--
Dave Teeter
Rochester Hills, MI
[log in to unmask]