In this video we start to see the benefits of Out-Thinking Parkinson's in action - literally [apologies for the poor sound quality, but it is the profound result in terms of movement which is what I want to share, so please just focus on motion].
Here, you will see I am once more in a state of Bradykinesia: stiff, rigid limbs which are hard to move... or are they? Because what we have found time and again is that I can move quite freely even when in quite deep "off" periods, except when brain and body are overly tired. I can achieve movement by engaging different parts of my brain other than the damaged part, because there are many other healthy pathways which are also responsible for types of movement. More importantly, having proven it to myself and with daily practice of the types of exercises you see here, my confidence and ability to move is growing - fast! As are our ideas for new ways to iteratively improve these concepts.
In the particular case study in the video, I'm using the part of the brain which is responsible for hand-eye co-ordination. The results go well beyond simply being able to move my limbs freely in some fashion, because the relief from the Parkinson's stiffness which I get while doing this is immense.
Perhaps we might dismiss this as a curiosity or anomaly? I assure you it is so much more than this. Having progressed from the cotton wool to a small, bouncy ball today, I can say that for me the therapeutic value is very significant. But we've figured out if I tie something onto my finger, then I can use these ideas to reach for anything... by "web-slinging" spider-man fashion. I will demonstrate and document these latter ideas in my next video diary entry. But I am now certain the potentials for developing these ideas are large and something I believe needs urgent attention by the healthcare community. Indeed, experimenting further today I have found ways to use this to prevent freezing and to get up from a prone position too. I also found I could use this to get into more comfortable lying positions and even to promote relaxation and sleep.
Indeed, I see the potential for transforming lives with these ideas, just as mine has been in only a few days. We would therefore like to work with product developers to design and test concepts based on innovative thinking about this. We would also like to partner with therapists to design exercise classes around these ideas. Please contact us at info@outthinkingparkinsons.com if you would be interested in working with us to rapidly progress this into application and start improving the quality of life of PwP.