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The Prevalence Of Parkinson 's Disease

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Individuals worldwide are affected by Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a chronic disorder with onset of symptoms occurring at a mean age of 60 years. The prevalence of Parkinson’s increases with age and may affect up to 5% of individuals over 79 years old. (Tosin, Campos, Andrade, Oliveira, & Santana, 2015). Those affected by the disease, experience impairments in movement, balance, and have difficulty performing everyday life tasks. Due to posture deficits and gait dysfunction, patients with Parkinson’s have an increased risk of falling which may lead to secondary health problems. Although exercise programs have been implemented to decrease falls, few programs are proven successful. (Li, Harmer, Fitzgerald, Eckstrom, Stock, Galver, Maddalozzo, & Batya, 2012). In order to find an effective program in decreasing falls, nurses are performing various rehabilitation interventions that focus on improving postural stability. Two examples of interventions include Qi Gong and Tai Chi. Qi Gong is a mindful exercise that effects neuroplasticity in the brain and can have an effect on the postural instability that Parkinson’s patients experience (Loftus, 2014). Tai Chi is a balance-based exercise that may have an effect on muscle strength and stability for those living with Parkinson’s (Li, et al., 2012). Qi Gong and Tai Chi are two rehabilitation interventions that nurses are implementing to prove whether or not complementary exercise programs improve posture enough to

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