Physical Therapy for Huntington's Disease
Physical and occupational therapy can help patients manage Huntington’s disease. Get in touch with us today to start your therapy sessions.
What is Huntington's Disease?
HD is a hereditary and progressive disorder. It is characterized by inhibition of proper working in some parts of the brain. The disease gets worse with time and gets fatal after around 20 years.
Everyone has the gene responsible for Huntington’s Disease. However, only those who inherit the development of the gene develop HD and can potentially pass it on to the next generation.
There are 2 types of Huntington’s Disease: adult-onset and early-onset, with the latter being rarer.
Early-onset is when a child/adolescent develops the disease. Adult-onset, the most common form, is when people develop the symptoms in their mid-30s and 40s. Although there is no cure for the condition, occupational and physical therapy can improve patients’ lifestyles.
Signs and Symptoms of Huntington's Disease
- Depression
- Agitated
- Trouble learning
- Trouble with decision-making
Symptoms that Come as the Disease Progresses:
- Hallucinations
- Changes in personality
- Speech difficulties
- Memory loss
- Chorea (strange/uncontrolled movements)
Management & Treatment of Huntington's Disease
There isn’t a cure for Huntington’s yet. Physicians work to manage different symptoms that arise due to Huntington’s Disease (HD) to improve the patient’s quality of life. A combination of medications, therapy, and community support services are used to manage the condition. Medications can help with the physical as well as the mental effects that arise. Physical and occupational therapy may be used to ease symptoms and improve movement difficulties.
It is crucial to maintain your physical fitness best as you can. There are currently a large number of studies examining possible therapies for HD. Consult with your healthcare provider to determine whether any therapies currently being studied would be beneficial to you or your loved ones.
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Physical Therapy for Huntington's Disease
As Huntington’s disease symptoms increase, moving becomes more difficult. For this reason, physical therapy becomes important in helping patients manage their condition. During the PT sessions, the therapist can establish personalized physical therapy and exercise interventions in Huntington’s disease whose goals will be:
- To enhance wellness and fitness
- To recommend and fit assistive devices
- Maintaining respiratory capacity
- To increase strength
- Educating the patient and caregivers
- Help with balance and gait
- Create an individualized home workout program
Huntington’s disease progresses in various stages. Each stage has specific goals and exercises that help a patient improve their symptoms.
Physical Therapy in Early Stages
For this stage, physical therapy exercises for Huntington’s disease will aim to:
- Keep you or your loved one mobile
- Increase lost function and the quality of life
- Teach strategies for promotion and relaxation
- Improve the ability to walk without help
- Patient and family education
- Help with functioning such as transfers
- Train caregivers
- Introduce assistive equipment
Physical Therapy in Early Stages
During this stage, physical therapy will focus on:
- Promoting comfort
- Preventing falls
- Creating a routine
- Protecting the patient
- Supporting caregivers
- Altering a patients environment
Huntington's Disease Exercises
These exercises help with improving motor control and decreasing chorea. Patients also engage in breathing exercises for Huntington’s disease. These exercises help to increase breathing efficiency, swallowing, chewing, and eating and also prevent lung infections. It’s good to start practicing the exercises early for good results. Such exercises include:
Chin Tuck
From a sitting position, gaze straight ahead as you relax your neck. Then, tuck your chin and press your fingertips against the chin. Do not drop the chin on your chest and do not let your head tilt back. Stay in that position for 5 seconds and release.
Trunk Extension and Flexion
To perform this exercise, start from a sitting position. Then, exhale and bend forward until you touch the floor. Breath in as you lean back and raise up your arms and out forming a V above your head. Repeat several times.
Trunk Rotation
For this exercise, interlock your fingers when sitting straight in a chair. Then, turn your body towards the left shoulder. When you get to the midline, stop and turn your body right and look over the right shoulder.
Occupational Therapy for Huntington’s Disease
Apart from physical therapy, you can benefit from occupational therapy for Huntington’s disease. It is a personalized treatment that helps a patient carry out activities of daily living. The intervention helps patients with basic skills such as walking, eating, dressing, or bathing. As a result, they enjoy improved life quality.
Additionally, occupational therapists offer education on how you or your loved one can participate safely in leisure activities. They can also propose alternative activities. As the disease progresses, the occupational therapy strategy also changes.
In the early and middle stages, occupational therapy helps a patient adjust their work environment if they choose to continue working. They can also suggest proper adjustments to help perform the tasks.
Furthermore, they can assess if it is safe for a patient to continue driving. If there are memory challenges, they can help them create lists, use calendars, and label items around the house. They also provide tips for good posture maintenance, which helps with swallowing difficulties.
Occupational Therapy in Later Stages
Occupational therapy in the later stages of Huntington’s disease helps prevent injuries as involuntary movements increase. The therapist can recommend using padding on hazardous surfaces and using floor mats to prevent falling out of bed. They can also recommend different types of beds to help patients sleep safely.
At this stage, there is a risk of a disease called contracture. It is a permanent muscle shortening leading to deformity. With the help of an occupational therapist, the patient can use splinting to keep the limbs in position, slowing the process.
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