Understanding Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease where the connections between the brain and body progressively fail. The neural pathways between your brain and your foot muscles are no longer communicating effectively, causing problems such as Freezing of gait, also known as 'Parkinson's disease walk' or 'Parkinsonian gait.'

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, more than 10 million people worldwide currently live with Parkinson’s Disease, and 70% of those individuals will fall, which further restricts activity due to fear of future falls. ^1,2

Individuals with Parkinson’s have a 2-9 times increased risk of falls compared to healthy individuals of the same age.³

PD is a complex disease that primarily affects motor function, but can also cause depression and cognition changes. Every person with PD presents differently, both in their symptoms and the speed of their progression.

Parkinson's Disease affects the neural circuits that allow the brain to function and enable automatic, smooth movements. As a result, many people with PD will likely show signs of altered walking mechanics at the initial stages of diagnosis, and as the disease progresses, they may experience something called freezing of gait.⁴

Freezing of gait or Parkinson's disease walk is a Parkinson's patient's inability to take the next step while walking.

Although Parkinson’s Disease is a very involved neurologic disease, the latest research shows that physical therapy and external cues from technology such as NexStride can significantly improve quality of life and overall mobility.⁵

Although Parkinson’s Disease is a very involved neurological disease, latest research shows that physical therapy and external cues from technology like NexStride can significantly improve quality of life and overall mobility.⁵

Cueing helps relieve Parkinsonian gait (also known as Freezing of gait) symptoms; improving walking speed, step length, and the number of steps per minute. Studies have also shown that this treatment line helped reduce the number of freezing episodes in Parkinson's patients.