Lifestyle Changes for Symptom Management
Lifestyle changes are a vital part of symptom management. You can combine these changes with drugs to help improve your symptoms. It is important to speak with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your Parkinson’s treatment plan [3]. Studies show that any drug or lifestyle changes that treats Parkinson’s disease will also improve bradykinesia.
Doctors recommend the following lifestyle changes for bradykinesia:
- Eating a diet high in fiber
- Walking
- Eating a nutrient-rich diet
- Taking necessary steps to help avoid falling
- Swimming
- Doing physical therapy with exercises that increase your strength, balance, and flexibility
The European Parkinson’s Disease Association describes staying active as the best way to manage bradykinesia. You may find it difficult to stay active due to the slowness of movement that accompanies bradykinesia. However, it is important to note that this slowness of movement does not mean you are weak, it only makes your muscles slower. You can increase the speed of your muscles and strengthen them by staying active.
You can develop strategies that can make movement easy for you. Some of these strategies include:
- Rearranging furniture and household items to make movement and reaching things easier
- Removing rugs and other tripping hazards or securing them to the floor
- Getting adequate rest during the day
- Getting a height-adjustable bed
- Changing your schedule to do challenging tasks when you feel best
- Wearing clothing with simple closures, such as Velcro and elastic waistbands
- Using raised seat cushions and toilet seats