Re: the recent thread on hypnotism, I thought this was interesting. First paragraph only in case I get into trouble for publishing the whole article!!
Ron

See Morris ME, Iansek R, Kirkwood B. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Movement Strategies Compared with Exercise for People with Parkinson’s Disease. Mov Disord 2009;24(1):64-71.

Mind over Matter: Can Thinking about Movement Help People with PD Move more Fluidly?

Background

The motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD) affect people in many aspects of their lives. One main motor symptom, bradykinesia, involves difficulty starting a movement and changing directions. For example, people with PD often have difficulty taking the first step when trying to walk down a hallway. When they get to the end of the hallway, they often find it extremely difficult to turn around. People who do not have PD simply rotate on one foot and turn around in one fluid motion. People with PD, however, take several tiny steps, turning in place, to end up facing the other direction. This difficulty with movement usually results in frustration for people with PD as well as those around them. Doctors and researchers are trying to determine the best form of rehabilitation for people with PD. The goal of this rehabilitation would be to regain better motor control, resulting in more fluid movement.



Many different types of rehabilitation have been tested in people with PD. Two of these are exercise therapy and movement rehabilitation strategies (MRS). Exercise therapy focuses on increasing muscle strength, range of motion, posture, and overall fitness. MRS is based on a program in Australia designed for people with PD. Rather than being a therapy based on actual exercise, MRS teaches people to mentally focus on movement. It also teaches people to focus on external cues to help with movement to improve walking, turning, and getting up from a chair. The key difference between MRS and exercise therapy is that no muscle training is actually used in MRS.