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By Beth Millage, DPT \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Beth Millage, DPT works at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at Mercy Hospital.\u00a0 She is a graduate of the University of North Dakota and has been a PT for 12 years working in a variety of settings. Beth loves working with people with PD and their care partners to help them achieve active lifestyles.\u00a0 She has had additional training with the LSVT BIG Certification Program and the latest evidence-based program for PWR! (Parkinson\u2019s Wellness Recovery).\u00a0 Formerly with Struther\u2019s PD Center and now at Mercy OP PT, she\u00a0 has been working with a team establishing best practice guidelines for Courage Kenny and wrapping up a research study on using LSVT BIG with people in Stage I of PD.<\/em><\/p>\n April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, and I would like to discuss a research-based exercise approach used to treat Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms. \u00a0The LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment) BIG program was developed to help those with PD learn to move with BIG movements and with greater speeds to decrease muscle stiffness, improve walking, and improve daily movements. The program is completed 4x\/week for 4 weeks with one-on-one instruction with a PT or OT certified in this approach. \u00a0The person with PD will learn the daily movements as well as spend time working on components that are challenging personally to them while working intensively to “calibrate” the movements to be larger and more effective for daily life.<\/p>\n Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute offers LSVT BIG training at all of their hospital-based outpatient neuro clinics and LSVT LOUD is offered by Speech-Language Pathologists.\u00a0 Following completion of the program, \u201cgraduates\u201d may participate in twice monthly community classes to improve adherence to the program and receive the benefits of participating in group exercise.<\/p>\n My colleague Erin Vesey, DPT and I recently completed a pilot study using LSVT BIG at our Mercy Hospital clinic with those in Stage I of PD.\u00a0 Every participant in our study showed improvements in the tests of walking, reaction time, balance, and quality of life from start to end of their training.<\/p>\n Study results:<\/em> participants in Stage I of Parkinson’s Disease in the study got better and remained better after training (we followed them for 3 months after their training for this study)<\/p>\n I encourage those with PD to seek out rehabilitation specialists and physicians for their care team that have specialized in PD and have additional training in working with this population.\u00a0 Research in the field of PD and exercise continues to show that intensive exercise is valuable.<\/p>\n If you are interested in more information, please contact me at beth.millage@allina.com<\/a> or call our outpatient clinic at Mercy Hospital,\u00a0763-236-8910.<\/p>\n Keep moving BIG!<\/strong><\/p>\n Beth Millage, DPT<\/em> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thank You to Beth Millage of Mercy Hospital for this week\u2019s article on Parkinson\u2019s Disease. Remember that here at Live Your Life Physical Therapy we want to make sure that if you or someone you love has Parkinson\u2019s Disease that you Live Your Life MOVING BIG & STRONG<\/strong>!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Eva Norman <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Illustration\/Information from The Mayo Clinic<\/a><\/em>
\n<\/strong>Courage<\/strong> Kenny Rehabilitation Institute
\nMercy Hospital<\/strong> Outpatient Therapies<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Parkinson's](\"http:\/\/www.liveyourlifept.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/parkinsons-300x283.png\")
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\nCourage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at Mercy Hospital<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nPresident & Founder
\nDoctor of Physical Therapy
\nLive Your Life Physical Therapy, LLC<\/p>\n
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