World Alzheimer’s Day takes place every year on September 21, as the primary day of awareness during September’s World Alzheimer’s Month which was established to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. Alzheimer’s disease can be debilitating and can often times go undiagnosed as we continue to see many more people that are affected by the disease than those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In Arizona alone, there are an estimated 140,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease 2. Caregivers face a tremendous amount of stress trying to navigate caring for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s. It is a difficult job and the more caregivers learn about the disease the more overwhelming it can feel.

In addition to the cognitive difficulties Alzheimer’s causes, sufferers also face a host of problems that affect their body’s balance, strength, and function. Caregivers have to be constantly in tune with their patients, ready to jump in at the sight of trouble. One of the biggest worries for caregivers are falls. Alzheimer’s affects the body’s ability to correct its balance and manage spatial awareness. Compounding the problem, sufferers have a tough time getting all the nutrition they need, which leads to their bodies becoming more fragile. Over time, fat stores, muscle mass, and bone density decrease. Fortunately, there are ways physical therapy can help individuals with Alzheimer’s maintain and improve their strength and balance, helping caregivers rest a little easier.

Benefits of Physical Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Neurological rehabilitation is specifically designed to help patients with neurological disorders maintain their independence. The key to success for the Alzheimer’s patient, as with many other neurological disorders, is to start treatment as early as possible, in an effort to slow down the rate of neurological decline. Families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can benefit substantially from early physical therapy intervention. The benefits for the patient can lead to postponement in entering a care facility, reducing the risk or severity of falls, and financial saving on long term healthcare intervention.

Research shows that regular exercise and neurological training not only helps healthy individuals delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease but helps patients with the disease slow its rate of progression. Neurological rehabilitation is a great place to start when seeking intervention from a physical therapist. Thanks to its flexibility, neurological rehabilitation can be used to retrain the muscles and neurons to move or function in new ways. While not often considered by caregivers, this training helps patients maximize the use of healthy neurons by promoting the creation of new information pathways to replace or circumvent damaged pathways. This leads to improvements in balance and strength. A neurological rehabilitation is customized to the needs of each patient and encourages a maximum level of independence. A physical therapist can also create a home program to continue treatment outside of the clinic.

As an added benefit, physical therapists can use neurological rehabilitation to improve cardiovascular function. Patients with Alzheimer’s can suffer from limited blood flow resulting in reduced oxygen and nutrients being delivered to the brain. Improving blood flow to the brain means that it will have the resources it needs to keep healthy neurons functioning normally 3.

Neurological rehabilitation is part of a comprehensive care plan for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s. Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education 1. At Spooner Physical Therapy our teams are specialists in areas of rehabilitation, body movement, and body optimization.

Learn more about Neurological Rehabilitation at Spooner Physical Therapy. Ready to schedule an appointment? Click here to schedule an appointment or complimentary movement screen with a Spooner physical therapist at one of our locations throughout the valley.

References

  1. Cherie LeDoux, P. D.-L. (2020, Sept 04). Home-Based Physical Therapy Increases Likelihood of Improved Function for People with Dementia. Retrieved from Choose PT: https://www.choosept.com/didyouknow/detail/home-based-physical-therapy-increases-likelihood-o
  2. Duarte, C. (2018, Mar 25). Alzheimer’s cases predicted to increase by 43 percent in Arizona by 2025. Retrieved from tuscon.com: https://tucson.com/news/local/alzheimers-cases-predicted-to-increase-by-43-percent-in-arizona-by-2025/article_313648ac-57ab-524f-9c8c-e2a67900a037.html#:~:text=An%20estimated%205.7%20million%20Americans,is%20predicted%20to%20be%20200%2C000.
  3. National Institute on Aging Staff. (2019, May 22). Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet. Retrieved from National Institute on Aging: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet#:~:text=As%20Alzheimer’s%20disease%20progresses%2C%20people,and%20personality%20and%20behavior%20changes