News and Media Research Centre
University of Canberra
Building 9, Level C, Room 10
10/09/2024 |
Faculty of Health
Exercising at home for Parkinson’s
Exercise can play a significant role in helping manage a range of health conditions. Some people living with Parkinson’s disease may find certain activities, such as walking, turning in bed, or sitting and standing up from a chair, more difficult. Physiotherapy is used to help maintain (and in some cases, improve) mobility, balance and everyday activities, helping people with Parkinson’s to continue live independently.
UC researchers led a pilot study from 2017 to 2019 to investigate home-based physiotherapy exercises for with Parkinson’s disease. The results from the study showed that home-based exercise delivered via telehealth was feasible, acceptable, and had similar outcomes to clinic-based exercise for people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. As part of this study, researchers developed over 100 Parkinson’s disease-specific physiotherapy exercises for the freely available PhysioTherapy eXercises website.
This research was vital when COVID-19 lockdowns impacted clients’ access to the physiotherapy they required. Due to the initial pilot program and the Parkinson’s-specific physiotherapy exercises developed by researchers, the UC student-led Physiotherapy Parkinson’s Clinic was able to quickly transition to delivering telehealth physiotherapy to 96 people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease.
The quick transition to telehealth meant clients were able to continue exercising, despite not being able to attend the clinic in-person. This meant treatment continued as planned, and with minimal interruptions, clients experienced successful outcomes from their physiotherapy. Clients reported the connection to physiotherapists and their encouragement and motivation at a time when isolation and stress impacted many people, enabled them to continue exercising and had a positive impact on their wellbeing.
Comments from Clients of the Physiotherapy Parkinson’s Clinic
“If they [the Student physiotherapists] hadn’t called each week, I think I may have faded away with the exercises. I was motivated to do it by having the student ring me.”
“It [the telephone call] was just giving me this reminder, this helpful little bit of advice, this extra little bit of help. And I really appreciated that as well. And psychologically it made me feel better.”
“… [The phone calls] just kind of encouraged me to use the exercises more frequently than I had been doing when I first started. When I first started, I was only doing it once a week, and in the end, sometimes I was doing it [the exercises…] up to four times a week.”
The home-based telehealth physiotherapy was provided for 21 weeks. A second study was conducted during this time investigating the clients experiences of telehealth during COVID. The results showed clients maintained their physical activity throughout the lock down period and they felt empowered. A flexible approach from both clients and physiotherapists was imperative to the success of the home-based care, with both telephone and video calls used to offer valued feedback to clients.
This work led to successful delivery of physiotherapy to people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s in the second COVID-19 lockdown in 2021. Further research is being undertaken aimed at increasing people with Parkinson’s self-management skills so they can exercise long-term, and the Physiotherapy Parkinson’s Clinic continues to operate on UC campus.
Research team
This research was undertaken by the Faculty of Health with partners from the University of Sydney:
- Allyson Flynn (University of Canberra)
- Elisabeth Preston (University of Canberra)
- Natalie Allen (University of Sydney)
- Colleen Canning (University of Sydney)
- Sarah Dennis (University of Sydney)
