Re: External focus improves postural instability

[rayilynlee <rayilynlee@xxxxxxx>]

I have two putting greens in my backyard and I'm hoping focusing on the 
holes will help my balance some.

Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
rbrown@xxxxxxxxx

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From: "Nic Marais" <marais.nic@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 12:26 AM
To: <PARKINSN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: External focus improves postural instability

> Interesting... So, we must focus on the floor not moving...;-)
>
> Nic 57/15
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 6:19 AM, rayilynlee <rayilynlee@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > External focus improves postural stability in patients with Parkinson's
> > disease
> > March 26th, 2009
> >
> > ALEXANDRIA, VA - Patients with Parkinson disease may be able to improve
> > their postural stability by directing their attention to the external
> > effects of their movements rather than to the movements of their own 
> > body,
> > according to a study published in the February 2009 issue of Physical
> > Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy 
> > Association
> > (APTA).
> >
> > Adults with Parkinson disease are at greater risk for posture and balance
> > impairments. These conditions may lead to falls, resulting in head 
> > injuries
> > and fractures, which can end with hospitalization and further mobility
> > limitations. Approximately 90 percent of people with Parkinson disease 
> > will
> > fall at some point during their lives.1 In the past 12 months, two-thirds 
> > of
> > patients with Parkinson disease reported a fall.2
> >
> > According to physical therapist researcher and APTA spokesperson Merrill
> > Landers, PT, DPT, OCS, "of the major motor signs of Parkinson disease,
> > postural instability is the least responsive to medication. It is crucial
> > that physical therapists continue to develop effective rehabilitation
> > strategies to address this issue."
> >
> > Lead researcher Gabriele Wulf, PhD, and her team observed 14 adults with
> > idiopathic Parkinson disease as they balanced on an unstable surface (an
> > inflated rubber disk) under three attentional focus conditions --  
> > external
> > focus, internal focus, and a control condition.
> >
> > Patients were instructed to either focus on reducing movements of the
> > rubber disk (external focus) or movements of their feet (internal focus), 
> > or
> > they were not given attentional focus instructions (control condition). 
> > The
> > results were consistent with previous findings on attentional focus, 
> > which
> > showed that directing attention to the effects of an individual's 
> > movement
> > on the environment (external focus) improved postural stability, compared
> > with internal focus and control conditions, during standing for 
> > individuals
> > with Parkinson disease.
> >
> > "In the past 12 years or so, numerous studies have been done - many of 
> > them
> > involving healthy adults learning sport skills - and it has consistently
> > been found that individuals perform and learn motor skills more 
> > effectively
> > when they are instructed to adopt an external focus. Other studies have
> > shown that those advantages generalize to people after stroke as well as 
> > to
> > the rehabilitation of ankle sprains, for example. This is a very reliable
> > effect, and the current study demonstrates that persons with Parkinson
> > disease benefit from an external attentional focus as well," Wulf 
> > explained.
> >
> > "Findings from this study not only have the potential to enhance the
> > rehabilitation strategies of physical therapists working with patients 
> > with
> > Parkinson disease, but may ultimately give patients with postural
> > instability more control over their lives through the use of strategies 
> > that
> > help them manage their own balance safely and effectively," said Rebecca
> > Lewthwaite, PhD, of Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a
> > co-author on the study.
> >
> > Rayilyn Brown
> > Director AZNPF
> > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
> > rbrown@xxxxxxxxx
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