European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson's Disease

*Note that this guideline was written in 2014, and has not been updated since. While some of the information has been superseded, the principles remain relevant. It is still the main reference point for guidelines on physiotherapy and Parkinson's.*

This document will support the judgements and decisions physiotherapists make during their clinical practice with people with Parkinson's. Professional associations from 19 European countries have contributed expertise to develop this guideline. It's based on a European-wide survey of people with Parkinson’s, which shaped the content and additional materials in the appendices. 

In this guideline, you'll find evidence-informed material to answer questions that might arise. This includes evidence from good clinical research, expert opinion from physiotherapists across Europe, and preferences of people with Parkinson's around treatment and management options.

Further reading

“Physiotherapy in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Present Treatment Modalities“ was published in the Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair journal in 2020. This paper is recommended by physiotherapists who work with people with Parkinson's, as it addresses the only section of the European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson's Disease that has been considered for an update: ''Physical therapy interventions''. The paper evaluates the effectiveness of various physical therapy approaches for managing Parkinson's and categorises them into 12 types.