PWR Functional Mobility & Movement Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which PWR! Move primarily addresses anti-gravity extension and is considered foundational for posture management in Parkinson's disease?
- PWR!Rock
- PWR!Twist
- PWR!Step
- PWR!Up (Correct answer)
Correct answer: PWR!Up
PWR!Up focuses on anti-gravity extension patterns that directly counter the flexed posture commonly seen in Parkinson's disease.
Question 2: A client with moderate Parkinson's disease reports difficulty rolling over in bed at night. Which PWR! training element MOST directly addresses this functional limitation?
- PWR!Step practiced in standing
- PWR!Rock performed at floor/mat level (Correct answer)
- PWR!Twist in a standing position only
- PWR!Up performed against a wall
Correct answer: PWR!Rock performed at floor/mat level
PWR!Rock at the floor/mat level trains the rotational and weight-shifting patterns needed for bed mobility and rolling.
Question 3: In the context of PWR! and Parkinson's disease, what does LSVT-BIG and PWR! share as a common therapeutic principle?
- Both focus exclusively on fine motor skills
- Both emphasize high-intensity, high-effort large-amplitude movements (Correct answer)
- Both require aquatic therapy environments
- Both address only lower extremity function
Correct answer: Both emphasize high-intensity, high-effort large-amplitude movements
Both LSVT-BIG and PWR! are grounded in the principle that large-amplitude, high-effort movements can retrain the Parkinson's nervous system toward more normal movement size.
Question 4: Which gait characteristic associated with Parkinson's disease is BEST addressed through PWR!Step training?
- Increased stride length and reduced cadence
- Reduced stride length, shuffling, and impaired weight shifting (Correct answer)
- Excessive lateral trunk sway
- Toe walking and plantar flexion contractures
Correct answer: Reduced stride length, shuffling, and impaired weight shifting
PWR!Step directly trains deliberate, large weight-shifting steps to address the shuffling, reduced stride length gait pattern typical of Parkinson's disease.
Question 5: A PWR! therapist wants to progress a client from supine to sitting as part of a floor-level mobility sequence. Which movement strategy BEST reflects PWR! principles?
- Roll to side-lying, push up through the arms using large deliberate movements (Correct answer)
- Sit straight up using only abdominal flexion from supine
- Have a caregiver assist by pulling the client's arms upward
- Use a mechanical lift to avoid floor-level transfers
Correct answer: Roll to side-lying, push up through the arms using large deliberate movements
Rolling to side-lying then pushing up with deliberate arm extension follows the PWR! movement progression for getting up from the floor safely and independently.
Question 6: When applying internal attentional focus in PWR! gait training, which instruction is MOST appropriate?
- 'Step over the line on the floor'
- 'Walk toward the chair at the end of the room'
- 'Make your steps as big as possible and feel your heel strike first' (Correct answer)
- 'Match the rhythm of the metronome'
Correct answer: 'Make your steps as big as possible and feel your heel strike first'
Internal attentional focus directs the client's awareness to the movement itself (step size, heel strike), which is a key strategy in PWR! for movement re-education.
Question 7: Which exercise position in PWR! training MOST challenges dynamic balance while simultaneously incorporating rotational trunk movements?
- Supine with knees bent
- Quadruped (hands and knees)
- Sitting on a stable chair with feet flat
- Tall kneeling on a mat (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Tall kneeling on a mat
Tall kneeling removes the base of support provided by the lower legs and feet, maximizing balance challenge while allowing full trunk rotation practice.
PWR Functional Mobility & Movement Strategies 3
Which PWR! Move primarily addresses anti-gravity extension and is considered foundational for posture management in Parkinson's disease?