Possibilities of non-drug treatment for Parkinson's disease

Abstract

In this article, non-drug methods of treatment of Parkinson's disease are reviewed. Particular attention is given to the motor symptoms of disease, specifically to gait disorders. Information about objective methods of gait impairment is presented. Own results that confirm the effect of a method of tempo-rhythmical correction of walk in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and vascular parkinsonism as well as a device for assessment of gait parameters developed by the authors are analyzed. The efficacy of other methods of gait correction using external cues, study design and level of evidence are analyzed as well. Information about possibilities of physical therapy and ergotherapy for correction of different symptoms of Parkinson's disease is presented. Positive and negative results of transcranial magnetic stimulation, light therapy and transcranial micropolarization in PD are analyzed. Basis non-drug methods of PD treatment, which currently have insufficient level of evidence (methods of mental relaxation and auditory training, methods of whole body vibration (vibromassage), laser therapy (photoacoustic therapy), acupuncture), are described in brief. Perspectives of the method of gait recovery in PD using tempo-rhythmic correction are emphasized.