What is freezing in parkinson's disease?

Freezing in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease: What is freezing?

In Parkinson's disease, freezing is a sudden, brief inability to start movement or to continue rhythmic, repeated movements, such as finger-tapping, writing, or walking. Freezing most often affects walking. But it also can affect speech, writing, and your ability to open and close your eyes. It tends to develop later in the course of the disease.

Freezing can be very disabling when it affects the way you walk. It can cause you to stop as though your feet suddenly have become glued to the floor. It can result in falls that cause serious injury, such as a hip fracture. Freezing may occur at an open doorway, at a line on the floor, or when you turn around. It may be more likely to occur if you are under stress or in a crowd.

Parkinson's disease: Caring for yourself when you have a freezing episode

There are several tricks you can learn to help you become "unfrozen" when you have a freezing episode from Parkinson's disease.

  • Step toward a specific target on the ground.

    Some people use handheld laser pointers to create a target.

  • Place a cane or walking stick on the floor in front of you and then step over it.

    You can also have someone else place it in front of you.

  • Make your first step a precise, stiff-legged, marching-type step, with a long stride.

These or other techniques may help you overcome freezing and get moving again. Physical therapy, specially trained dogs, and special devices can help you if freezing is a severe or frequent problem.

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