I was falling towards the stairs 6 weeks ago. My neuro told me that I was moving to fast ,bending and rotation my upper body, my feet did not move fast enough, and I tumbled over. Suddenly I had no muscles, no reflexes, falling down on my temple, I got a 5cm cut from the metal of the stair. Then I managed to call my daughter who came and bandaged my bloody face and stayed with me for a while.

My first reaction was that I had a stroke, later I understood that it was this PD. Today I read what John had expired ,falling in his kitchen, it is terrible- like being hit by the lightning -.

What is happening in our head, a blackout ,-what can I do to evade this suddenly lack of balance, will this go on and get worse ? I am starting to be really scared , is it like this to have PD , I need some advice , are there things I should NOT DO.

I was carrying a flowerpot, planing to put it down on the floor, I heard the pot was falling and next the smash of my head,no thinking , no reflexes.
When reading John´s thread I coud not push this under the carpet any longer as if it did not happend to me.
Wath do you think ?

annelise

Annelise hi,
What could be happening is that you're under medicated.
Not that you're completely off and akinesic but that you don't have enough levodopa in your system to prevent you doing things like running forward with your upper body leaning forward and also falling without throwing your arms out first which is what is a normal reflex in most people and prevents them from hitting their head but in a PWP who is off or a little off this doesn't come naturally.
Lee

you may have to get a walker, so you will not fall, andf have someone help you clear a path so you will not trip, and gate the top of your stairway...
do you live alone?

Professor Uses Tai Chi To Fight Degenerative Nerve Disease

ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2007) — Peripheral neuropathy is a degenerative nerve disease with no cure and few effective treatment options -- until now. Li Li, professor of kinesiology at LSU, is conducting a study into the benefits of tai chi for elderly peripheral neuropathy patients. So far, those practicing tai chi show far greater levels of improvement that those pursuing more traditional methods of treatment.

Test results prove tai chi is more than just a mind game or a placebo it really works. Li's group conducts periodic scientific and medical testing to track each person's progress as they continue in the program. Other, more traditional methods of treatment, including walking and light machines, are also studied to compare the results to those gained from tai chi, but so far it is still the undisputed winner, producing improved flexibility, sensation and overall health.

Most patients report a significant decrease in falls, increased confidence walking and standing and are able to stop using walkers or canes after consistent and extensive participation.

The study, backed by little to no funding, started out in the summer of 2004 and was slated to last only a few months. But participants felt such improvement that they refused to give it up. So, in the fall of 2005, the study resumed with great anticipation and with funding from LSU s Department of Kinesiology. What was once a simple comparison between two forms of exercise walking and tai chi has now developed into a full-fledged study, utilizing the expertise of biomechanists, psychologists, physiologists and many others in order to gain a better understanding of the actual impact this exercise produces.

The program includes approximately 75 individuals, with breakaway groups meeting up to three times a week for lessons. Thomas Yajun, a tai chi master who moved to the United States only three years ago knowing little to no English, leads the classes through their routines, which take into consideration the group's general level of mobility. As they become more comfortable and gain more mobility, Yajun pushes them farther, constantly expanding their boundaries. "People wouldn't come if it wasn t doing something," Li said. "I mean, some of these people travel 50 to 100 miles round trip just to make it to our classes. For many of them, if they couldn t come to our sessions, which are offered free of charge, they couldn't afford to go anywhere else."

There are more than 150 people in the Baton Rouge area waiting join Li's study. But with only LSU's Department of Kinesiology sponsoring the program, it cannot support any additional participants. Parking and facility space are already posing a problem. Li hopes to receive funding in the near future that will allow him to expand the program so that it can help others fight back against the pain of peripheral neuropathy.

"I have really been helped by the program. My legs felt like they had bands around them and my feet would burn almost constantly. Since I've been here [approximately nine months], I've had only two episodes of severe burning and the bands, where as it was on a daily basis before," said Marian King, who, prior to joining the program was forced to stop working due to increasing difficulty with walking and standing.

"We're seeing great results, and we're very excited," Li said. "Some people started the program unable to stand, even with assistance, for more than five minutes. Today, these same people have no trouble standing independently."

"I was falling down in the house a lot. Sometimes I would fall down just by tripping. It's [tai chi] been a real improvement," said John Liebert, who only recently joined the program. "I fall down far less, and that's the big issue with me. It's not going to cure the disease, but it was never intended to be a cure. It has definitely helped my lifestyle. It's been a real improvement."

For more information about Li's peripheral neuropathy tai chi group, please visit http://pn.lsu.edu/index.htm.

Adapted from materials provided by Louisiana State University.

Annelise, do you have peripheral neuropathy as well as P.D.?
If so sorry I didn't realise.
Lee

PN does, indeed, seem to be a part of PD but that particular study was for PN per se. There are other studies ongoing of tai chi just for PD that are just as encouraging, particularly for falls.

Annelise, perhaps the flower pot changed your center of gravity, so you were off kilter. I fell about a year ago the same way, and it was because I was distracted and not focused on my walking, plus I was walking too quickly, so I fell flat on the sidewalk.

Now, I'm careful to focus on walking, especially in public with so many distractions. I find that focusing on the lines in the sidewalk ahead of me helps me walk better. I also have an inner metronome, so I have an internal rhythm. Music helps, too. I walk better when I sing. I use a cane outside and it's very helpful.

The main thing is to pay close attention, especially when doing something at the same time, like carrying something. I pay close attention, even at home, where I know the territory well.

Take care.

~Zucchini

Oh, Annelise, that was a bad fall, and a frightening fall.
When I fall, my brain loses all power over my limbs. I go down like a tree cut down - crash. My husband says I look like a shot deer when I lose my balance, I just crumble without resisting. And yes, that is something that happens to us when we have PD.
The only way of preventing falls (most of them) is to pay close attention to every step, every wrinkle in the rugs, every little bump on the ground.
And even more important, concentrating on what your legs are doing. If you stop thinking of what your legs are doing, your legs forget what to do. We must constantly tell our limbs what to do. We can not take movement for granted like we did once.
Going up or down stairs carrying something requires extra attention. If you get distracted, your bum leg (the one that is affected most by PD) will simply stop walking and trip you up. You must concentrate on every step, or that leg will not work. Going up stairs it will drag so you stumble, going down it will collapse and make you fall.
Your fall was worse than most. I often have one or two blue and bruised or bloodied knees, but falling on your head is dangerous. You might ask your Dr.. for Amantadine - without it my legs hardly work at all.
I hope you never fall like that again, no wonder it has frightened you. Please be very careful.
God bedring,**

birte

*Oh, that hurts.
**good mending.

Very well put, Birte! By the way, what language is that?

is different than simply falling. Even if you never fell gain, the fear could be incapacitating in itself. You might beneit from hypnosis in that case (but be careful about giving yourself false confidence that could be dangerous). Also, you might try the techniques at www.emofree.com but, again, be realistic. Just because you think you can fly doesn't make one a bird. Good luck.