Author Archives: Pamela

I recently participated in the “Science and Practice of BIG and LOUD: Empowering People with Parkinson’s disease” as part of the LSVT training and certification workshop in Palo Alto, California. These workshops trained both physical therapists and speech therapists from various states. My participation involved demonstrating the exercises for the physical therapist on the first day of the training. The next day, I participated with about 30 other Parkinson’s patients to receive a sampling of both types of training from the newly certified therapists. I found both programs to be, to borrow LSVT’s own description, empowering!

[caption id="attachment_82" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Pam receiving instruction from Dr. Becky Farley while physical therapists look on"][/caption]

LSVT stands for Lee Silverman Voice Treatment. They are a non-profit dedicated to improving communication in individuals with neurological disorders, with a specialty in Parkinson disease. LSVT has been in existence for a number of years. Check out their website: www.lsvt.org.

The LSVT Big and Loud Program adds physical therapy to this already successful voice therapy. You can learn more at: www.gleecoinc.com.

One of my greatest fears with Parkinson’s is that I could lose my ability to communicate effectively. With the progression of the disease, our movements become slow and our voice becomes soft. The LSVT programs teach us to think and move BIG and to think and speak LOUD. I am already using the techniques that were taught to me in this brief sampler of the programs and I look forward to taking the full training programs sometime in the future.

[caption id="attachment_84" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Dianne Bryson, a Parkinson's patient from Sunnyvale receiving instruction from Patricia Turnquist, D.P.T, from Pasadena"][/caption]

Exercise is beneficial to all of us. It helps to maintain healthy weight, increase energy, fight disease, and prolong life. It helps to improve the quality of our life. I find that one of the most beneficial types of exercise in my fight against Parkinson’s has been Yoga.

In many traditional cultures the hummingbird is a totem animal and is recognized as a being of magic and spiritual significance. It is said that Hummingbird brings love as no other medicine can, and its presence brings joy to the observer.

Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I have taken up knitting. This I did to keep my fingers limber. I find knitting also to be extremely therapeutic. The repetitive motion seems to relax me; to put things in order. It is also extremely rewarding and generally gives me a finished product that is not only useful but a piece of art to be proud of.

The PJ Fund is proud to be supporting the work of the Parkinson’s Disease Working Group in Stanford University’s Neuroscience Institute. Lead by Dr. Helen Bronte-Stewart, they are committed to unraveling the mysteries of PD and to discovering new treatment for this presently incurable disease. Please visit the Stanford’s Parkinson’s Disease Working Group to learn more.

Sponsored by the Washington Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association and the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, The Hope Conference was held in Seattle on Saturday, November 10, 2007. There were more than 700 people in attendance.