Effects Of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine(OMM) On Lower Extremity Muscle Characteristics In Parkinson's Disease(PD) Patients

Parkinsonism, most commonly caused by Parkinson's disease (PD), is a syndrome characterized by rest tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. Gait speed and endurance directly inhibit the independence and community engagement for those with Parkinson's disease (PD). Pain was ranked as one of the most troublesome nonmotor symptoms associated with PD. Rigidity is commonly associated with pain in patients with PD. Osteopathic medicine treats somatic dysfunction which is the impaired function of body components including the somatic, skeletal, myofascial, vascular, lymphatic, and neural systems. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) will be applied to the lower extremity (LE), specifically muscle energy technique (MET) to the hip, knee, and ankle bilaterally. A sham control group will receive passive range of motion (PROM) joint movement of the hip, knee, and ankles bilaterally without reaching joint physiologic barrier. Muscle and gait parameters, ROM, Timed Up \& Go (TUG) and LE functionality will be assessed and juxtaposed. Based on preliminary results of muscle measurements, stiffness and relaxation improved in a patient with PD before and after LE OMT and demonstrated to be feasible. Investigators intend for the patients who receive OMT to improve LE muscle quality, gait, ROM, TUG, and daily functionality. Through this research Investigators hope to demonstrate that OMM as a supplemental treatment regimen can improve quality of life in those living with PD.