The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects that Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine has on lower extremity muscle characteristics in PD. Muscle stiffness, range of motion, and gait will be measured.
Participants will be asked to attend one in person session at the NYIT Academic Health Care Center. Participants will be randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. After a visit with the treating physician, both groups will have muscle stiffness tested using a myotonometry meter via a MyotonPRO device, gait measured while walking on a treadmill for 2 minutes before and after treatment, and range of motion tested using a goniometer. One week after the visit, participants will be asked to complete a brief survey over the phone with one of the study investigators.
Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease as per a neurologist, a severity of 2-4 on the Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) Scale
Able to receive OMM
Able to be in a supine and prone position for MyotonPRO measurements
Able to ambulate for gait measurements
Presence of severe fasciculations based on clinical judgment due to interference with measurements
Gait disorders not attributed to PD
Presence of other medical neurologic diagnoses that can affect outcome measures such as muscle tone/stiffness and ambulation (ie stroke, multiple sclerosis)