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Intensive therapy programs help treat Parkinson’s patients
September 23, 2015Dennis Hodge, 70, of Anderson said he didn’t think anything was wrong when he started having trouble getting in and out of his car.
“I thought I was just getting old,” he said.
Hodge’s cousin, a nurse practitioner, said she thought he had Parkinson’s disease.
An appointment with his doctor in March proved his cousin right, despite his doubts.
Hodge found his Parkinson’s early and was able to start vocal and physical therapy before his symptoms worsened or he developed more.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. While most recognize the onset of Parkinson’s by tremors, some people just experience stiffness and the slowing of movement, according to Mayo Clinic.
Because of the lack of severity of his symptoms, Hodge was able to use Lee Silverman Voice Treatment BIG for physical therapy.
He also used LSVT LOUD for speech therapy. While Hodge didn’t notice his voice getting quieter, his wife noticed that it was down to almost a whisper.
Jackie Eddleman, speech-language pathologist at Community Hospital Anderson, said speech therapy for patients with Parkinson’s can help the quality of speech, but it can also help how much patients talk to others.
“I’ve heard many times that patients stop talking as much or they don’t talk at all because they are having difficulty communicating effectively to their family and friends,” she said.
LSVT BIG and LOUD are both intensive therapy programs. Patients have hour-long sessions four times a week for four weeks. Eddleman said the difficulty isn’t so much in the patient’s ability to do the exercises but in their commitment.
“It’s not hard,” she said. “It’s intense in that it’s four times a week for four weeks.”
Joni Breeden, director of the Carl D. Erskine Rehabilitation Center of St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital, said the commitment has made the program less popular at St. Vincent.
“If the patient needed both Speech LOUD and PT/OT BIG therapy, then their time and financial requirements doubled,” he said. “This has proven to be very time-prohibitive and cost-prohibitive to most of our likely patients who would benefit from LSVT therapy.”
Patients are also assigned “homework,” where patients have to practice some of the exercises at home.
Lori Radcliff, occupational therapist at Community Hospital Anderson, said for LSVT BIG, her patients are supposed to do the seven core exercises they practice together once on the days they train at the hospital and twice on their days off.
Hodge has finished LSVT BIG at Community Hospital Anderson already, and he will finish LSVT LOUD this week.
St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital also offers LSVT LOUD. The Anderson hospital used to offer LSVT BIG but hasn’t since its LSVT-certified physical therapist transferred to another branch of St. Vincent Hospitals.
LSVT BIG works on increasing the patients' amplitude, increasing how far and comfortable they can move.
“I’ve heard many times that patients stop talking as much or they don’t talk at all because they are having difficulty communicating effectively to their family and friends,” she said.
LSVT BIG and LOUD are both intensive therapy programs. Patients have hour-long sessions four times a week for four weeks. Eddleman said the difficulty isn’t so much in the patient’s ability to do the exercises but in their commitment.
“It’s not hard,” she said. “It’s intense in that it’s four times a week for four weeks.”
Joni Breeden, director of the Carl D. Erskine Rehabilitation Center of St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital, said the commitment has made the program less popular at St. Vincent.
“If the patient needed both Speech LOUD and PT/OT BIG therapy, then their time and financial requirements doubled,” he said. “This has proven to be very time-prohibitive and cost-prohibitive to most of our likely patients who would benefit from LSVT therapy.”
Patients are also assigned “homework,” where patients have to practice some of the exercises at home.
Lori Radcliff, occupational therapist at Community Hospital Anderson, said for LSVT BIG, her patients are supposed to do the seven core exercises they practice together once on the days they train at the hospital and twice on their days off.
Hodge has finished LSVT BIG at Community Hospital Anderson already, and he will finish LSVT LOUD this week.
St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital also offers LSVT LOUD. The Anderson hospital used to offer LSVT BIG but hasn’t since its LSVT-certified physical therapist transferred to another branch of St. Vincent Hospitals.
LSVT BIG works on increasing the patients' amplitude, increasing how far and comfortable they can move.
But for Hodge, the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment programs have helped. He is now easily heard.
“I’m more willing to talk now,” he said. “Before, I just kind of shut up.”
Hodge said the BIG program has helped his movement. He doesn’t have trouble getting in and out of his car anymore.
Other forms of physical and occupational therapy are offered at both hospitals for patients of Parkinson’s disease. Radcliff said out of the forms of therapy offered at Community Hospital, this is the best.
“I have not done anything else that I’ve seen this many gains in the positive form,” she said.
(Source: heradbulletin.com)