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At 04:22 PM 21-02-97 -0500, you wrote: >Ida wrote: > >> While in hospital I walked friends who visited to the door, had trouble to >> reach the stair and than came down quick and flexible. I saw the disbelief in >> the eyes of others. And maybe for this reason it is not much talked about on >> this list because PWP's hardly believe it themselves." > > > Ida Kamphuis, 52/12+ > Holland > My neurologist explained it in this way: P.D. affects the autonomic nervous system. When we first learn to walk as little children our brain guides us step by step. After a while the brain identifies the action as repetative and files most of the steps of the process in the autonomic nervous system. Rather like automatic pilot on an aircraft if you get what I mean. Walking backwards is not something we do frequently there-for the brain handles it in a different area. That is why it is helpful when freezing occurs to put an object in front of your feet and try to step over it. Or start up marching music etc. Any-thing that will focus the brain back to thinking it's not performing a repetative sequence and will take the command out of automatic pilot. It sounds to simple to be true doesn't it? However in practice it appears to work. Regards Mary Thompson Aust.48/6 ( nee Van Den Eynden. Born Den Hague.) [log in to unmask]>