Impact of Meditation for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease who participate in Rock Steady Boxing

March 18, 2025 at 7:00 - 9:00 PM 

Location: Zoom 

Hosted by the North East District

Speakers: Maureen Pascal, PT, DPT, NCS. Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Misericordia University, Shelby Brittain, PT, DPT, Ashlynn Fitzgerald, PT, DPT, Justin Occhipinti, PT, DPT, Cheril Parmar, PT, DPT

Course Description: People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often experience anxiety related to motor and non-motor symptoms. Exercise helps but does not always eliminate anxiety, which affects physical and mental health. We investigated the addition of meditation to an existing exercise program and assessed changes in physical function and anxiety. This study included twelve participants who regularly exercise at Rock Steady Boxing Northeast PA. Six people participated in meditation sessions two to three times per week for six weeks after their exercise sessions. Each meditation session was ten minutes long, completed in sitting, and led by researchers using the SmilingMind meditation application (app). SmilingMind is an evidence-based free app that has been used in several other research studies worldwide. Six other participants acted as controls, participating in exercise without meditation. Outcome measures included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 10-meter walk test, Timed Up and Go, Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39, and General Anxiety Disorders-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire. After six weeks all participants in the meditation group reported enjoying meditation. There were variable changes in all outcome measures. In a follow-up meeting, several participants reported continuing meditation after the six-week trial. More research is needed to determine if the addition of meditation has a greater impact for those with higher levels of anxiety. We are continuing this project with more subjects and plan to assess the effects of longer-term meditation practice to determine if the addition of a short meditation practice session to an exercise program reduces anxiety and associated disease progression. Importance to Members: In addition to exercise, an app-based meditation program may help reduce anxiety and improve or maintain function in people with PD who already exercise. Using the app can make meditation readily accessible to people, allows for group or individual practice, and does not require additional training for physical therapists.

Course Objectives:

• Identify the motor and non-motor symptom presentation of Parkinson’s disease
• Describe the physiological mechanisms of meditation and its potential role in symptom management for Parkinson’s disease
• Discuss the chosen outcome measures of the study in relation to the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
• Understand the use of meditation using the SmilingMind application for the audience by the end of the presentation
• Interpret the results of the study and its implications for clinical practice and application.

Contact Hours: Approved for 1 General Contact Hours