Thursday, May 14, 2009

mobility and strength: between people with stroke and mobility

You have brought up a very good point. In Parkinson's, the muscle power is normal. It is the speed of movement which is affected - Parkinson's patients are slow. Therefore many Parkinson's patients can lift up heavy objects (despite being slow). And in your case, I saw how powerful your punches were when you were doing boxing exercise at the California Gym today. Parkinson's is one of the many brain diseases which affects the basal ganglia, a part in the brain which coordinates body movement.In contrast, stroke patients have reduced muscle power (paralysis) which prevents them from using the affected limbs to lift up heavy objects. In stroke, the affected part of the brain is the pyramidal system, which is different from the basal ganglia. Whether it is Parkinson's or stroke, the body movement is affected, albeit in different ways. The human brain is a very complicated and unique body organ. Dr Chew Nee Kong, Kuala Lumpur

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