“Efficacy of Rehabilitation Exercises in Patients with Parkinson's Disease”

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by a deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine in the basal ganglia. The gradual debilitating nature of PD makes it extremely difficult to function daily and interact with others. Rehabilitation has recently been suggested as an efficient and supplemental treatment for Parkinson's disease. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rehabilitation exercises for PD patients. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July'2022 to June'2023. In our study, we included 60 patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease based on clinical indication and proper investigation. Patients were divided into two groups – Group A (Patients who received rehabilitation therapy) & Group B (Patients who received no intervention). Result: The MDS-UPDRS III scores were significantly lower in the rehabilitation group compared to the no -intervention group (P-value <0.001). The rehabilitation group also performed significantly better in the M-PAS (p<0.001). In terms of gait speed, the rehabilitation group showed higher comfort and faster gait speeds than the no-intervention group. The current study revealed that the majority of patients in the rehabilitation group (43%) mildly improved, with the maximum number (57%) of patients in the group experiencing an efficacy duration of three months. Conclusion: Our findings show that MS, walking problems, balance, and postural control dysfunction can all be improved in PD patients with 4 weeks of rehabilitation treatment therapy, compared to patients who did not undergo rehabilitation treatment.