Parkinson's disease is one of the most common progressive neurodegenerative diseases of the brain, usually leading to significant disability. Rehabilitation, in addition to symptomatic pharmacotherapy, should be the mainstay of treatment for each patient. The aim of this study was to collect data on the use of different methods of rehabilitation treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease living in the area of Bialystok (before 1998 the province of Bialystok) and evaluation of environmental, social and health factors, which affect the use of this form of treatment.
Material and methods: We evaluated patients with Parkinson's disease treated in neurological departments in Bialystok and Choroszcz near Bialystok over the next 12 months. It was conducted using a specially constructed for this purpose questionnaire. The course of Parkinson's disease was also assessed in the Hoehn and Yahr and the Schwab and England scale.
Results: We have studied 88 patients with clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (48 women and 40 men), mean age 68.7 years. It was found that only 73% of those surveyed had ever been rehabilitated. In 27% of patients had never been used any rehabilitation treatment. It was shown that the level of education positively influences the use of rehabilitation, while the coexistence of additional diseases, living in the country and the older age impede the use of physiotherapy. The stage of disease and sex of patients did not affect the use of rehabilitation. Patients were primarily rehabilitated in a hospital. Among the most commonly used treatments were kinesis therapy, massage and hydrotherapy.
Conclusions: The study indicates too low access of patients with Parkinson's disease to rehabilitation and confirms purposefulness of initiating information and education action about the need for physiotherapy treatment in these group of patients.