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Lighten Up: Specific Postural Instructions Affect Axial Rigidity and Step Initiation in Patients With Parkinson's
Rajal G Cohen1, Victor S Gurfinkel2, Elizabeth Kwak3
1University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA rcohen@uidaho.edu.
Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
|February 11, 2015
Summary
The Alexander Technique (AT) may improve balance and mobility in Parkinson's disease (PD) by reducing rigidity and improving posture. Mindful movement, like AT, offers benefits for PD patients by enhancing upright alignment and decreasing stiffness.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Movement Science
- Rehabilitation Therapy
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by stooped posture, increased sway, and reduced mobility.
- The Alexander Technique (AT) is a mindfulness-based method for improving posture and mobility.
- While AT shows promise for reducing PD disability, its underlying mechanism remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if AT-based instructions reduce axial rigidity and improve postural alignment in PD patients.
- To compare the effects of AT-based instructions versus effort-based posture correction on alignment, rigidity, sway, and mobility.
Main Methods:
- Twenty individuals with PD participated in the study.
- Participants practiced two sets of instructions: 'Lighten Up' (AT-based) and 'Pull Up' (effort-based), alongside a control condition.
- Measurements included kinematics, axial rotation resistance, and ground reaction forces during standing and step initiation.
Main Results:
- Both instruction sets improved upright postural alignment compared to the control.
- Only the 'Lighten Up' (AT) instructions significantly reduced postural sway and axial tone.
- AT instructions also increased tone modifiability and resulted in a smoother center of pressure trajectory during step initiation, suggesting improved movement efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Mindful movement approaches, such as the Alexander Technique (AT), can acutely enhance upright postural alignment in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
- AT may benefit balance and mobility in PD by simultaneously decreasing rigidity and improving postural control.
- These findings suggest a potential mechanism for AT's effectiveness in managing PD symptoms.
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