Dados do Trabalho

Título

Group activities for Parkinson's patients in the countryside of Brazil - a successful experience

RESUMO

Case presentation: The present work intends to describe the creation and strengthening of an association of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) in a medium-sized city in Brazil. In September 2021, it started a partnership with a local college with 6 patients and the neurologist who led the cases. The initial objective of the partnership was to encourage the socialization and practice of physical activities in those patients, in addition to reducing the stigmas that accompany the disease. In May 2022, the group had grown to 50 participants, activities twice a week, conducted by students from the 9th and 10th periods of physiotherapy. The strategies are set up with stimuli for gait training, cognitive strategies to improve transfers, exercises for balance, mobility training joints and muscle strength to implement physical capacity. Low cost materials used are dumbbells, balls, shin sticks, cones, walking tracks with obstacles. In addition to routine activities, the group counts on the participation of guests in lectures that explore other aspects of the parkinsonian's life. Discussion: Parkinson disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by bradykinesia and hypokinesia combined with rest tremor and/or rigidity. In addition to these typical motor features, patients with PD may experience nonmotor symptoms related to the disease itself or to the medications used to treat it. Those patients require broad-based management including patient and family education, support group services, general wellness maintenance, exercise, and nutrition. Education is essential in order to provide the patient and family with some understanding and control over the disorder. Education can combat the stigma and misinformation that often surround the disorder. Regular exercise is very important in those patients, because it promotes a feeling of physical and mental wellbeing. Exercise may help to slow motor progression, improve nonmotor symptoms, and alleviate some secondary orthopedic effects of rigidity and flexed posture. Patients are at risk for social isolation, depression is one of the most common psychiatric disturbances seen. Final comments: With a low-value investment, it is possible to offer quality of life and dignity to patients with Parkinson's Disease in medium-sized cities. We believe that centers like this one should be stimulated by the interior of Brazil, improving the quality of life of patients and allowing higher quality studies by uniting patients.

Palavras Chave

Parkinson disease, socialization, physical activities