How stairlifts can help people with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease got its name after the British doctor James Parkinson first described the disorder as ‘shaking palsy’ in 1817. It is the second most common neuro-degenerative disorder in the world.

It is most known for the degree of impairment that it causes, which can often lead to falls due to the progressive loss of muscle control that causes trembling of the limbs and head, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance, making it gradually more difficult to walk, climb stairs, complete simple tasks or even talk.

Most people who develop Parkinson’s disease are 60 years of age or older, but early-onset Parkinson’s disease can occur.

An estimated 7 to 10 million people live with the disorder globally, with around 145,000 of these Parkinson’s patients living in the U.K, according to Parkinson’s UK.

Body tremors, stiffness, slow movement and impaired mobility are just a few of the symptoms that accompany Parkinson’s Disease.

Other symptoms include involuntary movements, muscle weakness, freezing in place, dizziness, general pain, and impaired vision. Staying mobile and climbing stairs can become very difficult for people with Parkinson’s.

As mobility impairments caused by Parkinson’s disease, in combination with the increased risk with older age, make falls even more likely, having a stairlift installed can help someone with Parkinson’s disease to remain independent in their own home.

They take the strain off of your legs and feet, which helps if you have difficulty walking or standing, and they have built-in safety features such as a safety belt and harness to keep you secure.

Rental stairlifts come in a variety of models, from curved stairlifts for stairs with bends and twists, to straight stairlifts for stairs that go straight up and down, and even outdoor models.

We are confident that we will be able to accommodate most staircases and will liaise with any health professionals to ensure the most appropriate stairlift is installed for customers who suffer from mobility loss and degenerative diseases.

People with Parkinson’s disease, and their relatives and friends, may be interested to know that degenerating mobilty can also be slowed down and improved through exercise:

Over the last few decades, neuroscience has found that physical exercise can actually slow down neural degeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease, and can improve brain function in people with neurological disorders.

Aerobic exercise such as treadmill training and walking have been tested on individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and shown to improve gait and quality of life in general. In order to address complex mobility issues in people with Parkinson’s disease, a therapist could incorporate tasks such as balance training into the patient’s rehabilitation.

According to a study by Dr. Ergun Y. Uc, of the University of Iowa, the results suggest that

“walking may provide a safe and easily accessible way of improving the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and quality of life”

and people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s who do not have dementia and are able to walk independently without a cane or walker can safely follow the recommended exercise guidelines for healthy adults, which consist of a total of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week.

The research has shown positive effects and benefits in patients with mild symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Other studies have shown that the brain has a self-repair and preservation function that can be boosted by doing physical exercise.

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