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Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism | ISSN: 2161-0460 | Volume: 8
October 19-20, 2018 | New York, USA
5th International Conference on
Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders
Sensory receptor stimulation: Anon-pharmaceutical way to help the Parkinson’s patient
The skin, with its numerous types of sensory receptors, is often overlooked in the treatment of people with Parkinson’s
disease (PD). These receptors provide critical feedback to the brain in terms of proprioception, pressure, pain, stretch,
and temperature. Various methods of sensory stimulation, such as via manual pressure, acupuncture, electrical stimulation,
and massage, have been shown to trigger changes in levels of brain connectivity in people with PD. This has been objectively
demonstrated with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Moreover, levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor also
increase after sensory stimulation. Sensory stimulation often results in immediate and observable improvements in posture, gait,
and functional abilities which can last up to several days. Mechanical stimulation applied to points on the feet (corresponding
to the head of the first metatarsal and the tip of the great toe) have repeatedly been demonstrated to not only improve freezing
of gait but also to normalize gait parameters (such as stride length). Electrical stimulation applied to acupuncture points on the
body and to the ear improve motor as well as non-motor disturbances (presumably through modulation of the vagus nerve).
Skin taping, commonly used to treat athletes, has been shown to improve posture and gait when applied to key areas of the
spine, neck, and lower extremities. It is theorized that taping improves proprioceptive input which is almost always disturbed
in PD. Sensory stimulations are especially important for patients who exhibit exercise intolerance and are unable to stimulate
their receptors via exercise.
Biography
Ben Weinstock has over 30 years of experience in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from complex medical and neurological conditions. He has presented
previously at international conferences. In 2015, he wrote and published the only book about the prevention of PD. In 2017, he began to present his course, Exercise
Prescription, Individualized Care for PD (EPIC-PD™) to Doctors of Physical Therapy. EPIC-PD is the only methodology that takes motor and non-motor factors into
account to develop an individualized exercise and lifestyle prescription for a person with PD.
Ben Weinstock
Weinstock Physical Therapy, USA
Ben Weinstock, J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2161-0460-C6-050