Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a common degenerative neurologic condition that impacts the area of the brain involved in initiation and coordination of movements, the basal ganglia. Common symptoms include rigidity (increased tone in muscles making if difficult to move at times), resting tremors, postural instability, and slowed movements. Additional symptoms you may experience include shuffling of your feet when you are walking, reduced arm swing with walking, freezing of gait when you encounter changes in surfaces or walk through doorways, oculomotor impairments, vestibular impairments, and autonomic symptoms such as lightheadedness. These symptoms can often lead to balance impairments that can increase your risk of falls. While there are many medical advancements to treat this disease, one of the best interventions remains an exercise-based approach to retrain the brain, and protect the cells in your brain that degenerate with Parkinson’s Disease.
Common interventions include high intensity aerobic training, balance training, dynamic gait training, vestibular therapy, dynamic stretching programs, and use of large amplitude movement training. We have several advanced tools to complete comprehensive neurologic assessments including our reactive balance platform and the neurosensory integrator program. Neurofeedback with EEG is a novel approach to managing symptoms of PD, with emerging research showing promise for this treatment technique.

With a neurodegenerative condition such as Parkinson’s Disease, it is important to follow up with physical therapy at regular intervals to reassess for any progression of the disease and adapt your program as needed. Look into our CLEARED Brain program as well for additional treatment options including transcranial photobiomodulation, vagus nerve stimulation, neurological nutritional guidance, and qEEG neurofeedback.