Glasses Help Parkinson's Patients

One of the most troublesome symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is difficulty in walking. Some patients will “stutter step” or take several small, shuffling steps. Others may “freeze.” As Parkinson’s progresses in the patient’s life, the idea of moving around becomes a dreaded, even frightening event.

Robert Reiss, a podiatrist who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, invented a pair of sunglasses that, when looked through, show a checkerboard grid in front of the wearer. The grid can act as markers that can help Parkinson’s disease patients keep moving. The visual cues give Parkinson’s patients something to step toward or over.

While these physical cues are helpful in providing a smooth stroll, it takes time and effort to work with these special glasses. Many patients use pool therapy (walking and moving in a pool) to ensure that they feel comfortable walking with the glasses on. The pool therapy also reduces the number of falls a patient may have throughout the course of the day or night.

The glasses were an invention that took engineers and Weiss 16 years to perfect. Patients who have used the glasses say that the visual aids presented in the lens “tricks” the brain into having the opposite effect of dyskinesia. Thus, the short, shuffling, or even jerky movements that are so common with Parkinson’s disease become more smooth and fluid.

The best part of these glasses is that they are inexpensive and users of the product are very satisfied with the outcome. To learn more about these glasses, access this Web site.