It’s very common for people with Parkinson’s to complain of shoulder pain. Many people think it’s a rotator cuff injury. While it may be, often the pain stems from shoulder blade tightness or dysfunction.
Many discussions about exercise and Parkinson’s focus on reaching 80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Research has shown that higher-intensity aerobic exercise may offer important benefits, which is why heart rate often gets so much attention.
The vestibular system is your body’s internal balance center. The inner ear constantly sends information to your brain about your head position, movement, and spatial orientation. Together with your vision and sensation from your muscles and joints, the vestibular system helps you stay upright and move safely through your environment.
With Parkinson’s Disease, standing on one leg can be daunting. When I’m evaluating new clients, they tell me they hate standing on one leg because it never gets better, no matter how much they practice. Tight tissue in the ankles and calves can have a huge effect or your ability to stand on one foot.
Breath-holding and shallow breathing are common with Parkinson’s disease. Shallow breathing, also known as chest breathing, occurs when a person takes short, rapid breaths using only the upper part of the lungs rather than breathing deeply with the diaphragm. This pattern is often triggered by stress, anxiety, poor posture, or chronic tension, and over time it can become the body’s default way of breathing. Instead of allowing the lungs to fully expand, shallow breathing limits oxygen exchange and forces the body to work harder just to maintain normal function.