What is Huntington’s Disease?
It is a progressive brain disorder that leads to uncontrolled movements, changes in how you think
and emotional problems. Symptoms most commonly appear between the ages of 30 to 40 years
old.
What causes Huntington’s Disease?
It is a genetic condition caused by inheriting a defect in a single gene from one of your parents
What are the symptoms?
Huntington’s Disease has a wide range of signs and symptoms, which appears first varies from person to person and symptoms can change throughout the progression of the disease.
Changes in activity and movement :
- Involuntary movements such as jerking or writhing movements which can travel around the
- body
- Stiffness or contractures in the muscles
- Difficulties with walking and balance
- Changes in eye movements
- Difficulties with speech and swallow
- Changes in how you think (cognitive function)
- Difficulty focusing/organising/prioritising a task
- Tendency to get stuck on a certain thought, action or behavior – inflexibility/perseverance
- Difficulty in controlling impulses ‘acting without thinking’
- Lack of awareness of behaviours
- Slow to process thoughts, difficult to find the right word
- Challenging to learn new information
- Changes in emotions (caused by the damage to the brain and not as a response to the diagnosis)
- Feeling irritable, sad or apathetic
- Withdrawing socially
- Insomnia
- Decreased energy levels
- Frequent thoughts of death or self-harm
Can physiotherapy help?
YES!!! Research shows that increased levels of physical activity has several benefits in Huntington’s
Disease:
- Increased quality of life and confidence
- Improved balance
- Able to walk further and faster
- Prevention of stress and aggression
- Decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression
Have a look at http://eurohuntington.org/active-huntingtons/ and https://www.hda.org.uk/media/1602/move-to-exercise.pdf for advice on how to get active with Huntington
Where can I find further information about Huntington’s Disease?
If you think physiotherapy will help you to increase your activity levels then please contact us on 01306
888171 or email [email protected]
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