Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological disorder impacting approximately one million people currently in the United States. Only 10% of the million diagnosed are below the age of 40.3 years, with 11 cases a year per 100,000 people newly diagnosed annually in the general population. The incidence and prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease increases with age as noted with 50 newly diagnosed cases per 100,000 people annually for those over the age of 50. Symptoms generally begin gradually, worsening over time, with increasingly noticeable signs including involuntary movements, tremors, impaired balance and coordination, a slow, shuffling gait with small steps, flat affect of the face, reduced voice volume, difficulty chewing and swallowing, overall stiffness and difficulty initiating movement or stopping motion once started, and worsening handwriting intelligibility with small letters. Cognitive and behavioral changes are also frequently noted, along with memory deficits, sleep dysfunction and depression.
What actually causes the above symptoms to occur?
Nerve cells in the brain break down or die when a person has Parkinson’s Disease, reducing the amount of dopamine produced in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that binds to receptors for dopamine in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia. This connection sends chemical messages to the body to assist in coordination and to control muscle tone. Since a reduction in dopamine is the cause of motor decline, medication in the form of synthetic dopamine can be prescribed to help reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease when a person is unable to produce enough dopamine on their own for normal movement and brain activity.
What are the risk factors for developing this disease?
Although the cause of Parkinson’s Disease is unknown, genetics and environmental exposure to toxins appear to play a role in developing the disease. Men are also more commonly affected than women. From a prevention perspective, there has been research showing that coffee consumption or drinking green tea make individuals less likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease, although the benefits of the caffeine in the beverages versus the chemicals in the plants are not fully understood at this time.
Once a person is diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, rehabilitation in the form of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are critical interventions to assist in maximizing independence and normal movement and voice. Programs such as LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® are specifically designed to address the vocal changes and movement changes most commonly seen in this disease. The focus on these programs is to help the client understand that his vocal volume is too low and his size of movements are too small, thus helping the client develop a new understanding of what normal speech and movement
feels like, with louder voice volumes and larger motion amplitudes, hence the big and loud designations. The programs are 4 weeks in duration, provided 4 days a week for one hour, with homework requirements for carry-over. Upon completion of the training, ongoing exercise programs are also available to clients to help maintain the changes achieved through intensive therapy sessions.
Clinicians go through extensive training to become certified in LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® curriculums. Licensed therapists are eligible to take the training, and are easy to identify and find on the LSVT Global website. Additionally, certified LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® practitioners are eligible to take advanced training in the BIG for LIFE® and LOUD for LIFE® group exercise instruction certification. These therapists are able to offer ongoing group exercise classes to graduates of the LSVT BIG® or LSVT LOUD® courses. Certified BIG for LIFE® and LOUD for LIFE® clinicians can also be found on the LSVT Global website, www.LSVTglobal.com, under the “Find an LSVT-certified clinician” link. Demonstration videos and testimonials on the website are a great way to witness the benefits of these programs. If you or a loved one are suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, I encourage you to find a certified clinician near you to start your journey of recovery. People with Parkinson’s Disease can improve when they are pushed, reinforced, motivated and empowered to learn how to move and speak normally once again!
Statics from the LSVT Global, Inc. 2020 clinician handbook
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