Despite best practices, many patients with Parkinson’s disease lack early rehabilitation therapy

The use of physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT) among newly diagnosed patients with Parkinson’s disease has increased over time, but it remains significantly lower than recommended guidelines, indicating a gap between best practices and real-world clinical care, according to a study.

The study reviewed data from 9,720 patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2023. Researchers found that older age, female gender, higher comorbidity index, African American race, and dopamine replacement therapy use were linked to greater PT/OT utilization. Encouragingly, a steady annual increase of 1.4% in therapy use was observed from 2013 to 2021.

Although these findings suggest progress, they also underscore a persistent gap between clinical practice and recommended care.

Reference
Longhurst JK, Chrusciel T, Ahmad SO. Increasing trends in utilization of physical and occupational therapy services in early Parkinson’s disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2024;14(8):1594-1601. doi: 10.1177/1877718X241291991. Epub 2024 Oct 24. PMID: 39957189.