Helping Parkinson's Patients to Think Big!
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects more than one million people in the United States, with over 60,000 newly diagnosed cases each year. People with Parkinson's Disease experience slowness of movement, rigidity and tremors which affect voice, facial expression, fine and gross motor movements. Medication to manage the effects of the disease, as well as the recommendation to engage in regular exercise to maintain mobility have been the most often recommended methods to manage the condition.
The Rehabilitation Team, under the direction of Dr. Sean Horrigan - Neurologist, at The Pavilion Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Hyannis is looking to make a BIG difference in the quality of life of Cape Cod residents with Parkinson's and similar neurological disorders with the announcement that we are now offering LSVT Big and LSVT Loud treatment.
"The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) reports that 89 percent of patients suffering from Parkinson's disease have speech problems that make it difficult or impossible to speak for themselves. There was no effective medical or therapeutic treatment for these problems until 1993, when LSVT Global developed a speech therapy called LOUD. Three years ago, the organization applied the LOUD concepts to limb movements to create the BIG program".
What is LSVT?
LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment), named after the woman whose treatment started the research behind LSVT, is an innovative treatment approach focused on improving communication and movement in Parkinson's disease patients. These treatments can be provided only by specially trained therapists certified in this treatment approach. There are two different treatments, LSVT LOUD and LSVT Big.
LSVT Loud treatment is provided by our Speech and Language Pathologist, Eileen Hachey MS-CCC, SLP. The program focuses on increasing vocal loudness, improving articulation and speech intelligibility, improving intonation, and increasing facial expression.
LSVT Big treatment is provided by Rebecca Ladd, MSPT and Susan Andiel, OTR/L. This program aims to increase walking speed with bigger steps, improve balance, improve trunk rotation and increase independence and safety with mobility
The Pavilion Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is the only Skilled Nursing Facility on Cape Cod to offer this innovative treatment protocol as an adjunct to traditional inpatient rehabilitation to further enhance outcomes for this population.
For more information regarding the LSVT Parkinson's Treatment program available at The Pavilion Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, please contact us at 508-775-6663.