Four-week trunk-specific rehabilitation treatment improves lateral trunk flexion in Parkinson's disease.

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) often have a posture characterized by lateral trunk flexion poorly responsive to antiparkinsonian drugs. To examine the effects of a rehabilitation programme (daily individual 90-minute-sessions, 5-days-a-week for 4-consecutive weeks) on lateral trunk flexion and mobility, 22 PD patients with mild to severe lateral trunk flexion, and 22 PD patients without trunk flexion were studied. Patients were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor subscale (UPDRS-III) score, and the kinematic behavior of the trunk was recorded by means of an optoelectronic system to determine: a) trunk flexion, inclination and rotation values in the erect standing posture; b) ranges of trunk flexion and inclination during trunk movements.