In my list of deficits, balance is right up there. A disturbance in one's balance is one of the hallmarks of PD. You don't realize how much of the typical daily movement requires balance until your balance becomes impaired. Walking, sitting, changing positions, reaching, squeezing through a narrow space or a crowd, staying on a path, hiking uphill or downhill -- these are all feats of balance that can be more difficult in PD. The good news is that balance is one of the most trainable of skills. It is a skill that will improve when you work on it. I am not sure how this works when one has a degenerative condition like PD, but certainly one can fight the degeneration and at least not get as much worse. Static balance, however, is not as important ad dynamic balance. So moving while challenging your balance (such as stepping back and forth with one foot at a time) is best. I even like to try the good old-fashioned walking along the street curb! Makes me feel like a kid!
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