Jack Wolf speaks with a clear, strong voice, and he’s very conscious of his volume. He has good control of his balance and coordination. And after four years with Parkinson’s disease, he says the LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® Programs at Pottstown Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation – and sticking with their regimens at home – are the reasons why.
“I’ve been through both programs twice and found them very effective,” Wolf says. “Both programs emphasize milestones during therapy sessions and are designed to develop and maintain neural pathways. While the regimens take a while to learn, I eventually memorized them and regularly do them at home without a problem.”
Specialized rehabilitation therapists at Pottstown Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation use the LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® Programs to help patients living with Parkinson’s disease improve movement, speech, and swallowing. Because Parkinson’s disease can challenge one’s perception of how they move and talk, these therapies help retrain patients’ brains to “think big” when walking or moving and speak loudly when talking. The intensive outpatient treatment plan can then be used at home to help patients continuously improve.
“When I began to lose strength and coordination, I decided I wanted to pursue these therapies, and I would recommend them to anyone in a similar situation,” Wolf says. “The whole program helps you maintain normal levels of function and helps make sure the effects aren’t getting worse. If you commit to continuing the exercises at home, you’ll see the benefits.”
Studies have shown that patients with Parkinson’s disease at any stage can benefit from intensive rehabilitation, and LSVT BIG® and LSVT LOUD® have proven to be especially effective soon after the disease is diagnosed.
To learn more about the Pottstown Hospital Outpatient Therapy services, please call 610-970-1600.
