Health Spot: Parkinson's Disease Treatment

LSVT (or Lee Silverman Voice Treatment) therapy is for patients who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease. LSVT can help patients take back their quality of life after a diagnosis.

Hi, my name is Brenda Lee, and I am an occupational therapist at Gunnison Valley Health who specializes in LSVT.

LSVT has two different treatment types, LSVT Big and LSVT Loud. LSVT BIG treatment is a form of physical and occupational therapy and improves movement needed for daily life. LSVT LOUD therapy is a form of speech therapy that helps patients improve their communication.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, patients may find themselves using smaller and smaller movements. LSVT BIG helps people relearn the size of their movements, so that they can move in larger, more intentional ways. Therapy can make daily tasks like buttoning a shirt or getting up from a chair easier.

Parkinson’s also affects the patient’s ability to speak in a loud enough volume for normal conversations. It also affects the tone and articulation of their voice. LSVT LOUD retrains the patient to speaker louder and clearer, to bring their daily conversations back to life.

To learn more about LSVT contact the Gunnison Valley Health Rehab team at 970-641-7248.