The physical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease involve motor function and include:

• Tremor – involuntary muscle movement of the body parts commonly starting in the hand.
• Slowness of movement (bradykinesia) – difficulty in initiating movement or slowness in initiation.
• Stiffness or rigidity of muscles, increased muscle tone – problems with activities such as standing up from a chair or rolling over in bed may be experienced.
• Postural Instability – difficulties with posture and balance.
• Shuffling Gait – walking with short steps and feet not clearing the ground.
• Gait freezing – inability to move feet when initiating
• Dystonia – uncontrollable muscle contractions

• Muscle stretching to prevent stiffness and lengthen tight muscles.
• Exercise to help relax rigid muscles and joints to maintain a good posture, keep your joints flexible and help make movements smooth and efficient.
• Exercise to increase stamina and reduce fatigue
• Reducing any pain that you may be experiencing.
• Teach techniques that help make some automatic movements and functional abilities easier. For example, walking, sitting down and standing up are some of the tasks that may become difficult as Parkinson’s disease progresses, but can be improved by learning new ways of doing things.
• Cueing and movement strategies to reduce the effects of freezing.
• Teaching ways of transferring such as getting up out of a chair or moving in bed.
• Advice on aids and adaptations to the home that might be of use for functional abilities for people with Parkinson’s disease.
• Balance training to help improve confidence and reduce the risk of falling.
• Relaxation therapy help reduce stress which can often bring on symptoms of Parkinsons.