Parkinson's: Ways to Cope with Walking, Balancing, and Falling

• Walking issues occur when you have Parkinson’s. Early symptoms of Parkinson’s are a decrease the natural swing of one or both arms when walking. As the disease progresses, steps become slow and small or shuffling. Other walking problems include a desire to propel forward with rapid and short steps. Sometimes this propulsion is a means to keep from falling.
• Pronounced in the later stage is postural instability where there is an inability to maintain an upright posture or to prevent a fall.  A gentle push can cause a Parkinson’s disease patient to step backward and eventually fall.