TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - A practical guide to the evaluation of compensation strategies for gait impairment in Parkinson's disease JO - Journal of Parkinson's disease A1 - Tosserams, Anouk A1 - Nonnekes, Jorik SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - Gait impairments are among the most common and disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Management consist of complementary pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options [1]. Physiotherapy is a cornerstone of the non-pharmacological pillar, and the application of compensation strategies is one of the elements of physiotherapy. These strategies comprise a wide range of 'detours' to improve walking capacity (Table 1) [2]. While the efficacy of gait compensation strategies is generally very high, the effects of specific strategies vary greatly between patients: what works spectacularly well in one patient, has no effect--or even aggravates gait impairment--in the next [3]. Therefore, a personalized approach to gait rehabilitation is imperative to find a suitable strategy for every person with PD and gait impairment. Ideally, every person with PD and gait impairment should be informed about compensation strategies by a healthcare provider (for example, by a skilled PD physiotherapist), who can also provide expert guidance during their search for the most appropriate strategies. To this end, a variety of strategies should be systematically evaluated in a trial-and-error manner, to identify which suit the patient's unique situation and needs best. However, a study in 320 Dutch physiotherapists and other PD healthcare professionals revealed that 87% did not use such systematic approach, reportedly due to limited knowledge and skills on the topic....
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1877-7171 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JPD-223296 ID - ref1 ER -