Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and its
prevalence is increasing. As pharmacological treatments cannot completely eradicate the
symptoms of the disease, other forms of symptom relief are emerging, including water exercise.
The aim of this paper was to identify previous research findings on the impact of water exercise
on patients with PD and to provide recommendations for its implementation. The results of the
studies on this topic were quite similar, with most showing improvement in certain symptoms
(rigidity, tremor, freezing of gait) and some motor skills, but many not statistically significantly
different from the control group. They concluded that water has properties that can have a very
positive effect on PD patients and their symptoms, that the environment in which PD patients
exercise (appropriate water temperature, pool entry) is important and that safety should be
ensured. Group forms of exercise can be advantageous, especially from a social and
psychological point of view, whereas individual forms are particularly suitable for people with
more advanced forms of the disease. For an exercise programme to be successful, it is necessary
to include exercise for different motor skills, with emphasis on specific exercises for walking
and posture, and further research is needed to refine optimal guidelines for water exercise for
patients with PD.
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