Hibiscus Neuro Rehab

03/02/2026

PART 3 💖 Parkinson’s management is about more than one symptom

Tremor is often the most visible symptom of Parkinson’s, but it’s only part of the picture. Physiotherapy focuses on the things that matter most:
✨️ Movement quality
✨️ Independence
✨️ Balance and falls prevention
✨️ Staying active for longer

Even when tremor remains, the right physio approach can help people move and live better.

If you or someone you love has Parkinson’s, this is an important watch.

02/02/2026

PART 2 💪 How can physiotherapy help when tremor is present?

Physiotherapy can help by:
✔️ Improving posture and movement control
✔️ Strengthening muscles that support stability
✔️ Reducing stiffness and slowness
✔️ Improving confidence and safety with everyday activities

All of this can make tremors feel less intrusive and easier to manage in daily life.

Listen in to hear more about how physiotherapy can help those with tremors 💚

01/02/2026

🧠 Can physiotherapy reduce tremors in Parkinson’s disease?

This is a question we’re asked all the time, and the answer isn’t a simple yes or no.

Physiotherapy doesn’t “cure” tremors, but it can play an important role in managing Parkinson’s symptoms and improving day-to-day function.

This week, we will be posting a series of videos where Sarah will break down how physio fits into Parkinson’s care and what it realistically can help with.

👉 Watch the first one here to learn more.

28/01/2026

Importance of Cardio after Concussion, Parkinson's Disease & Memory, and Balance Retraining - https://mailchi.mp/hibiscusneurorehab/june1concussionandactivity-10593064

28/01/2026

Good morning all! 🌞

Today, Sarah talks about what 'off-time' is in Parkinson's Disease.

Listen in to hear her top tips on how to manage off-time and make sure you share this important information with your loved ones 💕

28/01/2026

🚶‍♂️Parkinson's Disease and Cognition 🧠

As people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) progress along their journey, some may start to experience some problems with their cognition. This may present as just mild problems with things such as feeling distracted or disorganised or being more prominent with having difficulty planning and completing tasks.

As the motor changes that occur with PD are due to the loss of dopamine, there can be slowness in thought processing, memory retrieval, and thinking. Other factors such as stress, medication, and mood can also impact cognition in PD.

Some of the areas of cognition most often affected in PD include:

1. Attention - Difficulty with complex tasks that require the person with PD to maintain or shift their attention or difficulty concentrating during a task.

2. Slowed thinking, processing of information, or a delay in responding to verbal communication. This can also include taking longer to complete tasks and difficulty retrieving information from memory.

3. Problem-solving or executive function - Trouble planning and completing activities.

4. Memory deficits

5. Language – word finding difficulties, problems with naming things or misnaming objects, difficulty with comprehending complex conversations, lots of details, difficulty with the motor control of speech.

6. Visuospatial problems – issues measuring distance, or with depth perception, problems processing information about the environment/surroundings, visual misperception or illusions.

Changes in cognition can be overwhelming and quite a sensitive topic. If you are concerned that you are having problems with your cognition, don’t put your head in the sand. It is important to bring them up with your doctor and rehabilitation team. Screening tests can be used to identify problem areas, and then work can be started to help implement useful strategies to manage the changes day to day, and your rehabilitation can be shaped to address your cognitive needs.

26/01/2026

🏃‍♀️ What is the best type of exercise for Parkinson’s Disease? 💪

Evidence over recent years has shown us that to really help someone with Parkinsons certain principles need to be built into exercise to help promote neuroplasticity to protect the brain from further damage and degeneration from Parkinson’s disease.

Every person with Parkinson’s Disease has their own individual presentation and set of symptoms. A one size fits all approach does not work. Exercise needs to be tailored and prescribed to help each individual meet their goals. For example for someone who has a lot of tremor as a result of their Parkinson’s should work on exercises and movements that focus on forced use of a limb and driving out more motor output. Therefore, everyone should have their own “Parkinson’s specific” exercise program prescribed for them.
The intensity of the exercise program must also be very high, meaning a high amount of effort is required for every session to the motor output of the body.

Parkinson’s specific exercise needs to be carried out every day. This helps promote neuroplasticity by giving the brain frequent stimulation so better neural connections can be made.

Exercises should focus on powerful movements to help override the slow and small movements that start to occur over time in Parkinson’s disease.
Exercises need to be novel and challenging. This helps to keep the body and brain working automatically, so you can continue to do everyday tasks that require you to do more than one thing at a time.

Its also really important that the exercises are also fun and engaging, and are designed with your goals in mind – if you are working towards things than mean a lot a lot to you then you are going to be more willing to put in the hard work every day.

If you are living with Parkinson’s disease and want to learn what the right exercises are for you, then get in touch with our team to learn more. 👌

25/01/2026

22/01/2026

What are some of the early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs due to the gradual loss of a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine. Often, by the time someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, there has already been a steady loss in dopamine levels, often for >10+years before symptoms are noticeable enough to seek out medical advice. Due to this, there are some early signs of Parkinson's disease developing. These can vary from person to person, but the most common include:

1. Tremors: Mild shaking or tremors in the hands, arms, legs, or face. These commonly occur at rest.
2. Changes in your movement, such as slowness or stiffness with movement, eg: dressing becoming more difficult or slow to complete, stiff and effortful when rolling and getting up out of bed, changes in you walking pattern or loss of the arms swinging when you walk.
3. Muscle Rigidity: Stiffness in the limbs and neck, which can restrict movement and cause discomfort.
4. Balance problems or difficulty standing up straight.
5. Changes in Handwriting: A condition known as micrographia, where handwriting becomes small and cramped.
6. Altered Speech: Changes in voice tone, volume, or clarity, which may sound softer or more monotone.
7. Reduced Facial Expressions: A diminished ability to display emotions, sometimes referred to as "masked faces."
8. Sleep Disturbances: Problems falling asleep or staying asleep, along with restless legs or other movement issues at night.
9. A decrease in the ability to smell known as anosmia
10. Persistent tiredness or lack of energy/fatigue that doesn't improve with rest.
11. Constipation

21/01/2026

🔴 BARRIERS TO EXERCISE ✋️

At this time of year, it can be extra hard to start exercising or to be consistent with your exercise program. If you are feeling all the little excuses start to creep in, try these tips.

1. Make a commitment and set a goal. Having something meaningful to work towards can help you to establish good habits and an exercise routine.

2. Schedule time to do your exercise at the same time each day. We are all living busy lives, and lack of time is the most common barrier to exercise.

3. Play around with interval training. You don’t need to work out for an hour. You can get some great health benefits from doing shorter bursts of intensive exercise. It only takes 10-15 minutes.

4. Incorporate fun exercise with family or friends, particularly if you are feeling bored of your current routine

5. Have variety in your week. If you go to the gym, then change up your program or try something new. If you walk daily, then change your walking route.

6. Remember, you don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership to exercise. You can start off slowly in the comfort of your own home. Technology is your friend. You can find many easy exercises online and on apps.

Changing things up can help keep you interested in your exercise routine. But do remember that often it's not the plan you have that is the problem, it’s the lack of consistency. Don’t expect changes overnight. It takes hard work and dedication to make changes in our bodies.
Be patient, and keep going. Don’t give up before the miracle happens!

20/01/2026

Tremor is a common symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is characterized by involuntary, rhythmic, and alternating movements of one or more body parts. There are many different types of tremor in PD, which can vary depending on the circumstance, the body part, and the frequency at which the tremor occurs.

The two main types are:
1. Resting Tremor – This occurs when the body is still and relaxed, such as when you are relaxing in a chair.
2. Action tremor - which occurs when the person intentionally uses their limb, for example, when reaching to pick up a cup.

When asked, clients often say that their tremor is the one thing they would like to improve. Tremor can cause a lot of distress and frustration, in part due to its visibility, and often, clients say they avoid going out or attending social situations due to their tremor. In addition to medication, exercise can be used to help manage tremors in PD.

Some of our favourite exercises to help with tremors include:
1. High intensity cardiovascular exercise - sprints intervals on the bike and boxing
are great options.
2. Power movements such as
💪 Hand flicks – in standing or sitting using all the power you can muster push your arms forward and flick your hands open as if you are flicking spiders off your fingertips
💪 Power bounces of a tennis ball on the ground, Ball slams with a medicine
ball, overhead ball throws against a wall,
💪Throwing and catching a scarf

If you are living with Parkinson’s and want to work on managing your Tremor, get in touch and see if some of these exercises might work for you.

19/01/2026

Freezing of Gait (FOG) & Parkinson’s – What You Need to Know 💡

At the Insight Parkinson’s Conference, experts shared new research on FOG, a condition where movement suddenly stops despite the intention to walk.

Why is FOG a big deal?
- 60% of falls in Parkinson’s are linked to FOG.
- Many people don’t realize they have it—42% who thought they didn’t freeze actually did when tested.
- It significantly impacts quality of life, both physically and mentally.

Not all FOG is the same!
FOG can be motor-related, anxiety-triggered, or linked to attention and sensory processing issues. Understanding the type of FOG helps target rehabilitation more effectively.

What actually helps?
Research shows generic exercise alone doesn’t improve FOG. Instead, FOG-specific training is most effective, including:
- Cueing techniques – Visual or auditory cues, such as stripes on the floor or rhythmic sounds.
- Action observation – Watching movements and then mimicking them.
Cognitive-motor training – Combining thinking tasks with movement to improve coordination.

The key? Start early. General exercise is beneficial in early Parkinson’s.

FOG is tricky to detect, so early assessment is crucial. If you or a loved one is experiencing movement difficulties, we’re here to help.