Parkinson’s Disease – Physiotherapy, Symptoms and Exercise
Parkinson’s disease is a slowly progressing neurological condition that affects movement, balance and flexibility. Regular exercise and individual physiotherapy are an important part of care and can help many people stay independent for longer.
What Parkinson’s disease is
Parkinson’s disease is a long-term neurological condition in which the amount of dopamine – a substance that helps control smooth movement – gradually falls. Diagnosis and medication are decided by a neurologist.
It typically shows up as slowed movement, muscle stiffness, tremor at rest and impaired balance, and over time walking often becomes smaller and shuffling. The signs differ a lot from person to person and can change during the day.
The condition is chronic and progresses at different speeds, but regular movement is one of the most recommended additions to medication. Exercise does not cure the disease, but in many people it helps with walking, balance and daily functioning. Physiotherapy complements neurological care and does not replace it.
Why physiotherapy matters
- to keep mobility and flexibility for longer
- to train walking and step length
- to improve balance and prevent falls
- to reduce muscle stiffness
- to help with standing up, turning and getting out of bed
- to teach family members how to support safely
How it shows up
- slowed movement
- muscle stiffness
- tremor of the hands at rest
- small, shuffling steps
- impaired balance and a tendency to fall
- stooped posture and quieter speech
How we can help
We start with a thorough assessment of your walking, balance, strength and daily difficulties. We work with individual therapeutic exercise for step length, balance, turning, standing up and strength, plus manual therapy and massage for stiffness. We also offer home rehabilitation with individual 60-minute sessions, where we teach your family how to support movement safely. Physiotherapy is an addition to your neurologist’s care; we will refer you to a specialist when needed.
When to see a doctor
Contact your neurologist for new or rapidly worsening symptoms, frequent falls, sudden confusion, hallucinations or difficulty swallowing. Seek urgent help after a fall with a blow to the head, severe pain, or sudden weakness, difficulty speaking or other signs of a stroke.
This page is for information only and does not replace an assessment by a specialist.