EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTEGRATED TREATMENT APPROACH IN MANAGING PARKINSON'S DISEASE: AN OBSERVATORY REPORT

The progressive nature of Parkinson's disease (PD) necessitates a significant holistic treatment approach. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an integrated treatment approach, combining modern medicine, Ayurveda, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy, in managing PD. The study is a retrospective observational analysis of six patients diagnosed with PD. The protocol included standard pharmacological treatments, Ayurvedic therapies, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. Assessment tools such as Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were utilized to assess patient outcomes at admission and discharge. Results indicated muscle strength, walking capabilities, balance, and functional independence improvement. The average upper limb MMT score at admission was 3.66, while it improved to 4.33 at discharge. The average lower limb MMT score at admission was 3.55; at discharge, it improved to 4.16. The increase in average Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) scores from 2.66 at admission to 3.33 at discharge highlights significant improvement in walking capabilities among patients; the average BBS score at admission was 35.33, increasing to 38.33 at discharge. The average FIM score at the time of admission was 89.33, which improved to 97.66 at discharge. These findings suggest that an integrated treatment approach effectively enhances physical function and standard of living in Parkinson's patients. Despite the retrospective design and limited sample size, this study emphasizes the possible advantages of combining modern medicine with Ayurveda, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy in managing PD. Larger sample sizes and controlled experiments in future studies are recommended.