How does physical therapy help with Parkinson's Disease?

Physical therapy for Parkinson's focuses on 'amplitude training' and neuroplasticity-based exercises. We help patients improve their gait (walking), balance, and coordination, while addressing common symptoms like rigidity and bradykinesia (slowness of movement).

Can physical therapy slow the progression of Parkinson's?

While there is no cure for Parkinson's, research consistently shows that intensive, goal-directed physical therapy can help maintain mobility, improve quality of life, and slow the functional decline associated with the disease.

Is it too late to start physical therapy for Parkinson's?

It is never too late. Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with Parkinson's for years, a customized program can help you manage symptoms, prevent falls, and maintain your independence as much as possible.

Physical Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

Walking with Parkinson’s Disease after Physical Therapy

Our goal is to help you move as if Parkinson's isn't even there. Through informed, evidence-based exercise therapies, our program helps slow disease progression, reduce fall risks, and build lasting strength. Reclaim your mobility and live more independently.

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Our Approach to Parkinson’s Disease

How External Cues Support Movement in Parkinson’s Disease

Movement can become challenging for people living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and other Parkinsonism disorders. One powerful tool that can help is the use of external cues during daily activities and rehabilitation.

What Are External Cues?

An external cue is an instruction or signal that directs attention to the environment instead of focusing only on the body. For example, many people with early PD find it easier to climb stairs than to walk across a smooth floor. That’s because the shape and size of the stairs provide a visual external cue for where to place each foot. When assisting a person with PD, this is the difference between asking the person to lift their foot (internal cue) and place their foot on a step (external cue). The motion looks the same but it is processed differently in the brain.

Why Are They Helpful?

External cues support something called motor planning which is your brain’s ability to create a “game plan” for movement. Normally, this happens automatically. If you want to pick up a glass of water, your brain has to:

Decide to reach for the glass.
Plan how far to move the arm.
Tell the hand how to shape itself around the glass.
Coordinate lifting it smoothly without spilling.

Most of us don’t notice this process, but in Parkinson’s Disease the connection between brain and body can become disrupted. This makes motor planning less automatic and more effortful.

The Role of Practice and Cues

By adding external cues (whether visual, auditory, or tactile) the brain gets extra guidance to organize movements more clearly. Over time, these cues can help retrain the brain and body to work together, making everyday tasks like walking, turning, standing up, navigating around furniture or reaching easier and more controlled.

Home Exercises for Parkinson’s

A home maintenance program fights the “shrinkage” caused by PD. Over time, the brain tells the body to make smaller and smaller movements. This "shrinkage" can make everything from speaking to getting out of bed feel like an uphill battle. That’s where a targeted home program comes in. By using external cues to prompt big, intentional movements, you can maintain your physical amplitude and keep doing the things you love.

“My husband has been seeing Dr. Matt Audia twice a week exactly one year ago. And what a difference he has made in Pat’s mobility and strength. Matt’s knowledge, patience plus being a good listener are amazing. We are so grateful. Thank you, Matt!!”

— M.H. 2023

Commonly Asked Questions

When should a person with Parkinson’s Disease start physical therapy?

For best outcomes, a person with PD should start physical therapy immediately upon receiving a diagnosis because Physical therapy can greatly help to slow the progression of the disease. At Audia Physical Therapy, we see clients continually as well as in-between insurance-based rounds of physical therapy so that you never have to go without a therapy program.

What are the benefits of physical therapy for someone with Parkinson’s Disease?

At Audia Physical Therapy, we train individuals with PD to improve posture, balance, walking, and movement for life as well as prevent secondary complications related to PD. Physical Therapy plays a critical role in maintaining the ability to participate in life activities such as walking, doing chores, playing sports, attending family gatherings and events, and maintaining hobbies.