Parkinson's affects movement through slowness, stiffness, tremor and balance changes. Exercise is not simply good general advice here — high-intensity, large-amplitude exercise has genuine evidence behind it, and may influence progression rather than only managing symptoms. The programs that work are specific, so a generic exercise plan tends to underdeliver.

Does this sound like you?

Most people have several of these, not all of them.

Slowness of movement, with steps and handwriting becoming smaller
Stiffness through the limbs and trunk
Tremor, typically at rest and often starting in one hand
Balance changes and increased falls risk
Freezing, particularly in doorways and when turning

Why it happens

Loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain
The cause is not fully understood in most cases
Genetic factors in a minority
Risk rising with age, most commonly diagnosed after sixty

What we would do about it

Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.

High-intensity, large-amplitude exercise, which has specific evidence in Parkinson's
Gait retraining using cueing strategies for stride length and freezing
Balance and falls prevention work
Strength and cardiovascular conditioning
Practical strategies for turning, doorways and getting out of chairs
Carer education and home program support

See a doctor first if

Your pain followed a significant injury
It is getting worse rather than settling
It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.

Generic exercise underdelivers here

Parkinson's responds to specific kinds of exercise — big movements, high intensity, and cueing. A program built for it is meaningfully different from general fitness work.

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Or call us on 0403 907 587 — we see patients across Seaton.

Other neurological conditions we treat

Stroke Rehabilitation Multiple Sclerosis Vertigo and BPPV Balance and Falls

Back to all neurological conditions

General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Parkinson's Disease on Physiopedia.

Parkinson's Disease