With Parkinson’s disease, the upper back gets really rigid and stiff. This rigidity, compounded by forward rounding, prevents it from rotating correctly. As a result, the lower back (designed to stabilize, not rotate) must take over, leading to lower back pain. Using pool noodles, this seated exercise can help treat upper back rotation.
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With Parkinson’s disease, the rib cage gets stiff and flexes forward, causing a lack of rotation in the spine. This stiffness, compounded by the “lats” (the muscles in your back that attach to your arms) getting tethered down, causes difficulty when reaching and straightening your arms. When you can’t rotate in your upper back (thoracic spine), your body will start to compensate by rotating and extending parts of your body that are not meant to rotate. This almost always results in shoulder or back pain.
Furthermore, the eyes may have difficulty tracking a moving or stationary object or finding the next line in a book when reading.
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Many people with Parkinson’s disease struggle with frozen shoulder and impingement from the forward stooped posture and tight chest. This chest tightness prevents the shoulder from rotating correctly, resulting in terrible pain, dysfunction, and can keep you from participating in your regular exercises. Using a pool noodle cut in half, you can improve and prevent Parkinson’s shoulder impingement with this seated or standing exercise.
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