[reverett123]

A little while ago I needed to move a heavy battery around to charge it. I was semi-off and having moderate difficulty negotiating the close quarters involved, turning in particular.

When I picked up the battery, however, there was immediately an improvement of at least 75%! Put the battery down and just as quickly back to problem.

This was a deep cycle marine battery (i.e. heavy) and about 55 to 60 lbs held close to the body.

Any thoughts?

[ZucchiniFlower]

I think that dealing with something heavy like that is an external prompt that kick starts you so you can handle it. But it may just be the act of picking it up, not the weight.

In PT, she had me stand up and sit several times, and after awhile I got stuck in sit position. She handed me my cane side ways, and just the act of reaching for my cane broke the freeze, and I easily stood up.

Whether it's the weight or just the activity of carrying it, I think it's an external cue which completes a connection in the brain, which was needed.

Maybe it has to be something novel, unusual, to work.

[bluedahlia]

Maybe the battery gave you a charge????

[lindylanka]

A friend with PD said his symptoms stablised when carrying two heavy suitcases, I'm afraid his wife and I were happy to let him
Lindy

[Jim091866]

when using my walker I was still frozen but when I kicked a small dog toy along the floor I was able to move smoothly. Er- or was it the cat??

[reverett123]

Having thought about it a bit, I think it is an extension of the "banding" phenomenon <those of you who don't know what I mean should search this forum> and similar to what ZF suggested above. The idea of the banding is that in order to move a limb you need to be able to send it a signal to do so, but you also must be able to receive signals from the limb so that you are aware of things such as position. Otherwise, it is like driving a car with the windows painted black.

A cloth band worn on a thigh like a garter improves the feedback portion of the loop by amplifying it as the residual level of muscle tone increases in reaction to the "squeeze" of the band. In a similar vein, the atypical weight of the battery completely altered the muscle tone throughout my body.

I'm not sure what we might do with this, but one thing comes to mind to try. Has anyone ever tried walking with a heavy backpack while symptomatic?

[paula_w]

blue dahlia - funny!!

paula

Originally Posted by bluedahlia

Maybe the battery gave you a charge????

[Ibken]

i've been having static probs w/ my bedside radio - think there's a wire crossed somewhhere. anyway i ran tests this am and found the static responded to speciific positions of my pd leg...which has aberrant electrical flow...so, Rick I think your battery boost was indeed electrical.

[Teana]

I don't know if this is the same thing but the weight thing reminded me of something. There is a PD water class at the gym I go to. One of the older men that has PD uses a walker because of the PD shuffle. Once he gets into the water he walks normal, no shuffling.

Tina

[ZucchiniFlower]

I walk much better when at work I hold a 1 L bottle of water in each hand. I also walk better, when my arms are outstretched in front of me. At home, when I need to walk fast, I stick my arms out.

Rick, remember a while back we talked about how a weight on one's head relieved symptoms for someone?

When I'm having trouble walking, I kick my foot as if I'm kicking something in front of me, and my bradykinesia lessens. Imagining kicking something works in the same way imagining banding can work for me. If I imagine the feeling of an ace bandage wrapped around my forehead and head, my facial muscles relax.

It seems to me that a novel sensation like banding, or a new kind of resistance like the water in the pool, or an added action, such as carrying a weight or kicking something, sets up a complete feedback loop that we were in dire need of, and miraculously we adapt well to the new stimulus and are better than we were before.