
Decreased arm swing
I think I notice others with Parkinson’s most easily by noticing and recognizing the arm swing. It is almost always significantly worse on one side than the other. A few things that I have found helpful. Spend some time walking each day, with over-exaggerated arm swings.
I swim a lot, when I am done swimming, I will walk or run in the water with overly exaggerated arm swings. I figure the muscles have to work harder so maybe my brain will “remember” to do its job and make them swing.
At physical therapy, my therapist gave me a stick in each hand, and while walking on the treadmill she would have me hit the stick on the handles in front and then she held a trash can lid behind me. It makes noise every time you hit it, and encourages the large arm swing motions as well. I don’t know if associating the sound makes any difference, but it also seemed to help.
Shawn Evans
My arm swing has returned to almost a full swing. I think I’ve accomplished this through two tactics. At first, I focused on swinging it, telling myself forward, back, forward, back. As often as I could I did this while walking. Everyday walking in the office, in the store, in the park, on the treadmill – everywhere! The 2nd tactic has been focused attention on what my left arm could do vs my right arm. Whenever I find a difference between my arms, I drill into it, allowing my affected side to learn from my non-affected side. Whether strength or balance or any movement, I’m comparing my halves. I hardly have to tell my arm to swing anymore!
Thomas Braun
That was the first sign my wife noticed. She is a Nurse Practitioner and on a walk on the beach she noticed the lack of arm swing on my left side. Through LSV and Rock Steady Boxing it has made me very aware of when my arm swing lessens.
Skip Wickersham
I walk 3 miles every other day. One of my issues was not swinging my left arm. I use upbeat music ( 80 bpm or more). Someone mentioned marching mode…. I go into that. I concentrate on swinging my left arm to the beat. I also flex my fingers on each hand to the beat as I swing my arms… seems to minimize the tremor. My MDS said it was bc I was occupying my mind.
Barry Armstrong
My symptoms included left side stiffness. Dragging left foot, small steps, left arm held stiffly, no swing. My physio suggested marching action. Left foot right arm forward, right foot left arm forward, big swing. My gait went back to normal the first time I tried it. So the limbs and muscles could still work fine, it was the messages to the limbs not working that was the issue.
Whenever I noticed arm stiff or small step I step into marching mode. Bedroom to kitchen, to the toilet, letterbox, longer walks, pushing the golf trolley, I think marching and off I go. At first I had to think to get the action right, but with practice I now just step into it. The stiffness and dragging still come back like a default, but the first marching step has me back to normal gait wherever I am. Left right left right is the way forward for me. Cheers
Jeff Yates
Music with a regular beat that you can walk fast to. Swing and hit the front of the swing with your stiff arm on a beat. It really helps me.
John McCrea
Concentration Much like above forward, back, etc. It gets easier and my arm swing is usually “normal’. When I do notice my arm out of balance(not too often anymore), its back to basics( forward, back, forward, etc)