Affiliations: [a] Radboud University Medical Center; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Department of Neurology; Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| [b] Laboratory of Motor Behavior, Sport and Health Department, Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Portugal
| [c] Department of Quality and Improvement, OLVG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| [d] Triad Health AI, USA
| [e] Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal
| [f] Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| [g]
CNS — Campus Neurológico Sénior, Torres Vedras, Portugal
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Prof. Bas Bloem, Department of Neurology (935), Radboud University Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 24 3615202; Fax: +31 24 3541122; E-mail: bas.bloem@radboudumc.nl.
Abstract: The evidence for physiotherapy is growing, showing a positive impact on functional activities involving gait, transfers and balance. Specific recommendations for physiotherapists, physicians and people with Parkinson’s disease were published in the European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson’s disease. Here, we summarize the referral criteria, highlight the importance of accurate referral to specialized physiotherapists, and emphasize the potential benefits of expert care. As such, this paper offers very practical guidance for clinicians working with Parkinson’s disease patients and who consider physiotherapy treatments for their patients.
Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson disease, referral criteria, physiotherapy
