28 patient evaluations for Walking
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May 30, 2016 (Started Aug 01, 2007)
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EffectivenessMajor (for Improve mobility)
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EffectivenessMajor (for General health)
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EffectivenessMajor (for slow movement (bradykinesia))
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EffectivenessMajor (for balance problems)
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EffectivenessModerate (for increased energy)
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Side effectsMild (fatigue, muscle strain, muscle soreness)
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
As needed
Advice & Tips:
As of Sept 1, 2010, I am lumping walking together with the other aerobic exercise I do - running, exercise bike, elliptical.
If you're having trouble walking, you're likely to walk less. If you fear walking by yourself, you're likely to walk less. So your walking will get worse, you'll have more trouble with it, and you'll walk less. You can end up in a downward spiral. So you've got to break the cycle.
There are several ways to do it. Many people who freeze while walking can still walk on a treadmill. And you can always hold on to the rails while walking on it. So practicing walking on a treadmill can help.
If you don't have access to a treadmill, you can try walking stairs (if you are one of those who doesn't have a problem with stairs). Always hold on to the rails when you do stairs, however.
If you don't have stairs, or can't do them, there are two other things you can try. You can clear a space in your house or on your driveway, and put obstacles on it to step over. Most PWP find that even if they have trouble walking, it's usually easier if they step over something. The "something" can be shoes, rolled-up newspapers, blocks, pieces of wood. Walk back and forth, stepping over the obstacles. Try varying the distance between the obstacles. Once you have been walking over them for five or ten minutes, you'll usually find it easier to walk and may be able to walk short distances without the obstacles.
Another thing you can do is to get a walker (a rollator), and practice walking using it (in a mall, on your driveway, around your neighborhood on the sidewalk).
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Side effects:
muscle soreness, muscle strain, fatigue
Oct 17, 2009 (Started Aug 01, 2007)
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EffectivenessMajor (for Improve mobility)
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EffectivenessMajor (for General health)
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EffectivenessMajor (for slow movement (bradykinesia))
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EffectivenessModerate (for balance problems)
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Side effectsMild (fatigue, muscle strain, muscle soreness)
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Advice & Tips:
Walking can be either standard walking or racewalking. The latter is more strenuous than jogging at the same speed, but without the pounding of running or jogging. Once you're in good shape, it's a nice change to try racewalking for a few hundred yards in the middle of a walking workout. It also helps your speed, which is probably something all of us Parkinson's patients could use.
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Side effects:
muscle soreness, muscle strain, fatigue
Aug 23, 2009 (Started Aug 01, 2007)
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EffectivenessModerate (for General health)
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EffectivenessMajor (for Improve mobility)
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EffectivenessCan't tell (for Parkinson's disease)
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EffectivenessModerate (for balance problems)
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Side effectsMild (fatigue, muscle strain, muscle soreness)
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Advice & Tips:
Treatments and drugs can interact with each other. In my case, there was a positive interaction with walking, Mirapex, and Azilect. See "About Me" in my profile.
In late 2008, when I walked fast for several minutes (during exercise) I often tended to freeze, and would have to stop walking. A few months later, when I started to freeze I would be able to continue walking, just slower for a few minutes, and then resume. By Oct of 2009 even if I started to freeze while running fast, I would be able to slow down (still running) and keep from freezing. I believe that pushing yourself - hard - on a regular basis (once a week or so) can help alleviate your symptoms and improve you functioning.
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Side effects:
muscle soreness, muscle strain, fatigue
Aug 16, 2009 (Started Aug 01, 2007)
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EffectivenessMajor (for Improve mobility)
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EffectivenessMajor (for General health)
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EffectivenessCan't tell (for Parkinson's disease)
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EffectivenessModerate (for balance problems)
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Side effectsMild (fatigue, muscle strain, muscle soreness)
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Side effects:
muscle soreness, muscle strain, fatigue
- 0 helpful marks
Jun 23, 2011 (Started Jun 16, 2011)
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EffectivenessSlight (for fibromyalgia)
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Side effectsModerate
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
Weekly
- 0 helpful marks
Apr 6, 2011 (Started Oct 20, 2010)
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EffectivenessModerate (for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome)
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EffectivenessModerate (for fibromyalgia)
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Side effectsNone
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AdherenceSometimes
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
M,W,F
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Mar 1, 2011 (Started Oct 20, 2010)
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EffectivenessModerate (for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome)
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EffectivenessModerate (for fibromyalgia)
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Side effectsNone
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AdherenceNever taken as prescribed
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BurdenSomewhat hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Jan 9, 2011 (Started Oct 20, 2010)
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EffectivenessModerate (for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome)
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EffectivenessModerate (for fibromyalgia)
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Side effectsMild
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenSomewhat hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Cost:
< $25 monthly
- 0 helpful marks
Dec 5, 2010 (Started Dec 05, 2005)
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EffectivenessMajor (for Promote relaxation)
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Side effectsMild
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
45 min
Daily
- 0 helpful marks
Aug 30, 2010 (Started Jul 10, 2004)
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EffectivenessModerate (for General health)
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Side effectsMild
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenVery hard to take
Dosage:
30 min
Daily
Cost:
< $25 monthly
- 0 helpful marks
Jul 15, 2010 (Started Jul 01, 2008)
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EffectivenessMajor (for Improve mobility)
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Side effectsNone
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Advice & Tips:
Just plain walking. I don't monitor my heart rate, I just enjoy myself. My mobility, balance, arm swing and pace have all improved considerably since I started 3 years ago.
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Side effects:
muscle strain, fatigue
Jan 1, 2009 (Started Jul 01, 2008)
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EffectivenessSlight (for Improve mobility)
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Side effectsMild (fatigue, muscle strain)
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Cost:
< $25 monthly
Side effects:
muscle strain, fatigue
- 0 helpful marks
May 21, 2010 (Started Apr 10, 2009)
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EffectivenessSlight (for Other)
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Side effectsModerate
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenSomewhat hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Cost:
< $25 monthly
- 0 helpful marks
Feb 1, 2010 (Started Aug 01, 2009)
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EffectivenessSlight (for General health)
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Side effectsModerate
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenVery hard to take
Dosage:
30 min
Daily
- 0 helpful marks
Jan 26, 2010 (Started May 25, 2006)
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EffectivenessModerate (for Improve mobility)
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Side effectsNone
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AdherenceAlways
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BurdenA little hard to take
Dosage:
15 min
Daily
- 0 helpful marks
Oct 17, 2009 (Started Aug 14, 2009)
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EffectivenessMajor (for exercise)
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Side effectsModerate (fatigue, muscle pain)
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AdherenceSometimes
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BurdenVery hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Side effects:
muscle pain, fatigue, fatigue
Oct 16, 2009 (Started Aug 14, 2009)
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EffectivenessModerate (for exercise)
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Side effectsModerate (fatigue, muscle pain)
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AdherenceUsually
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BurdenSomewhat hard to take
Dosage:
Daily
Side effects:
muscle pain, fatigue, fatigue
- 0 helpful marks
Last updated:
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