If you answered YES to any of these questions, we can help.

Community Sports & Therapy Center offers FREE SCREENS to anyone suffering from decreased mobility, diminished quality of voice, frequent falls, as well as any other symptoms of Parkinson’s. These screens will aide you in choosing a proper treatment path for your symptoms and determine if the LSVT program is a good fit for you.

What is LSVT BIG®? 

This research-based physical and occupational therapy treatment protocol uses an intensive amplitude-based exercise regimen to help re-educate the sensorimotor system of individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Research has shown LSVT BIG results in:

– Faster walking with bigger steps

– Improved balance

– Increased trunk rotation

– Improvements in activities of daily living such as bed mobility

– Improved UPDRS Motor Score

LSVT BIG targets bradykinesia, or slow movement, as well as hypokinesia, or small movements, which negatively affect mobility, balance, and function with normal daily activities. Research has shown that the early and intensive exercise is vital in optimal symptom management and improvement in motor function in people with PD.

LSVT BIG® Treatment Consists of:

LSVT BIG is provided by a certified physical and/or occupational therapist for individual, hour long sessions, four times a week for four weeks as supported by scientific research. Patients will be instructed in a series of large amplitude movements using the whole body, and then will practice applying these bigger, more normal movements in functional activities that are important to the individual. In this way, LSVT BIG is customized to the unique needs, goals and abilities of each patient. Patients also practice daily at home for maximal and sustained results.

Start Exercising Now – As Soon As Possible.

Physicians often do not refer patients at initial diagnosis because medications are fairly effective at managing early symptoms. However, the LSVT BIG program has been shown to actually improve motor function in PD, even in very early stages of the disease. Thus, referrals to the program would be best initiated at diagnosis, when it may have the most impact on quality of life; however, it can still be beneficial even if a patient has been diagnosed for a number of years.

“Exercise is an important part of healthy living for everyone. For people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), exercise is more than healthy — it is a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and activities of daily living. Exercise and physical activity can improve many PD symptoms. 

The Parkinson’s Outcomes Project shows that people with PD who start exercising earlier and a minimum of 2.5 hours a week, experience a slowed decline in quality of life compared to those who start later. Establishing early exercise habits is essential to overall disease management.” Please visit the Parkinson’s Foundation for more information. 

What is LSVT LOUD®?

LSVT LOUD® is an effective speech treatment for individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) and other neurological conditions. Published research data support improvements in vocal loudness, intonation, and voice quality for individuals with PD who received LSVT LOUD®, with improvements maintained up to two years after treatment. Recent research studies have also documented the effectiveness of this therapy in improving the common problems of disordered articulation, diminished facial expression and impaired swallowing. Additionally, two brain imaging studies have documented evidence of positive changes in the brain following administration of the therapy.

LSVT LOUD® improves vocal loudness by stimulating the muscles of the voice box (larynx) and speech mechanism through a systematic hierarchy of exercises. Focused on a single goal “speak LOUD!” – the treatment improves respiratory, laryngeal and articulatory function to  maximize speech intelligibility. The treatment does not train people for shouting or yelling; rather, LSVT LOUD® uses loudness training to bring the voice to an improved, healthy vocal loudness with no strain.

LSVT LOUD® Treatment Consists of:

Treatment is administered in 16 sessions over a single month (four individual 60 minute sessions per week). This intensive mode of administration is consistent with theories of motor leaning and skill acquisition, as well as with principles of neural plasticity (the capacity of the nervous system to change in response to signals), and is critical to attaining optimal results. The treatment not only simulates the motor system but also incorporates sensory awareness training to help individuals with PD recognize that their voice is too soft, convincing them that the louder voice is within normal limits, and making them comfortable with their new louder voice.

Not Just for Parkinson’s – Get LOUD Now For Best Results

Patients are trained to self-generate the adequate amount of loudness to make their speech understood. While LSVT LOUD® has been successfully administered to individuals in all stages of PD, the treatment has been most effective among those who are in early or middle stages of the condition. LSVT LOUD® has also been applied to individuals with sub-types of PD (Shy-Drager syndrome, multi-system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy), however the largest dataset is for individuals with Idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD). Recently, LSVT LOUD® has been applied to select individuals with stroke, multiple sclerosis, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy with positive outcomes.

As the Michael J. Fox Foundation states, the experience of living with Parkinson’s over the course of a lifetime is unique to each person. As symptoms and progression vary from person to person, neither you nor your doctor can predict which symptoms you will get, when you will get them or how severe they will be.

Our program will customize your therapy based on your symptoms, your goals, and your current stage of Parkinson’s.