Seniors
Parkinson’s disease
Specialized therapy can help patients with the disease. by Tara Townsend
W
alt Freiberg can no longer throw a baseball like he did in younger days, but he has regained a lot of mobility and function despite his Parkinson’s Disease. The former automotive industry sales engineer was diagnosed 12 years ago and assumed he would slowly decline. “Therapy has literally reprogrammed my Parkinson’s,” says the Dewitt resident. “I still have some coordination loss but I don’t usually have tremors any more.” Freiberg walks a mile or two daily, usually on a treadmill, and does the exercises prescribed by a physical therapist, trained to work with Parkinson’s patients. “Walking is a big item,” he stresses. “With Parkinson’s your muscles tighten up and shrink. You have to keep walking and stretching to keep them working.” The specialized therapy, which his neurologist researched, is known as “LSVT BIG and LSVT Loud” (www. lsvtglobal.net). The program, provided only by nationally certified physical and
Walt Freiberg works with a rehab specialist to address Parkinson’s Disease symptoms.
occupational therapists (BIG) and speech-language pathologists (LOUD), focuses on the unique impairments common to Parkinson’s Disease patients who often shorten their steps, speak more quietly and/or mumble. The program trains them to make bigger movements and steps and speak louder. Parkinson’s Disease alters the brain’s capacity to monitor itself, so patients are
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unaware that they are whispering, hunched over or hardly moving. Since he completed the initial four-week outpatient therapy program at a local rehabilitation center in East Lansing, he is able to maintain his mobility with just a refresher course about once a year. “I’ve gone back for a six week refresher and they make sure I’m doing the right exercises.” Freiberg, 86, says he is keeping up fairly well with his wife who is 10 years younger and his two young grandsons. Although he’d love to be running, throwing and catching the ball with the two boys, he is grateful for his regained mobility and the fact that he can get to the field under his own power to watch them play. Tara Townsend, OTR/L, is Director, Rehabilitation and Wellness at Burcham Hills Retirement Community and Center for Health & Rehabilitation in East Lansing. Reach her at (517) 351-8377.
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