Leah Winecke, PT, DPT, with Winona Health Rehabilitation Services and Sports Therapy, leads Helen Simon through an LSVT BIG therapy, a program to help those who have Parkinson’s disease.

“It’s exciting to see the progress a person can make with this therapy program,” said Leah Winecke, PT, DPT, referring to LSVT BIG, a program to help those who have Parkinson’s disease, now offered by Winona Health Rehabilitation Services.

Parkinson’s disease causes a person’s movements to become smaller and slower than typical. It affects posture, coordination and balance and makes it more difficult for a person to do common tasks. It also increases their risk of falling.

LSVT BIG is a standardized treatment protocol customized to each patient’s goals. It focuses on activity-dependent neural plasticity to improve brain function and slow disease progression. Winecke, who is a certified LSVT, BIG therapist, explains in simpler terms that it “helps improve gross motor skills including gait (walking), balance and coordination as well as fine motor skills such as writing.”

Helen Simon, who recently completed LSVT BIG therapy at Winona Health, said, “It was a lot of work and also a lot of fun; I could really feel my muscles during the workout.”

Simon shared that she used to feel especially nervous when going up or down stairs. “I’m much more comfortable going up and down stairs now. I know I still need to be careful, but now I’m more confident and less fearful of falling in general.”

LSVT programs have been developed and scientifically researched for more than 25 years, with documented success in improving motor function in people with Parkinson’s disease including:

• Faster walking with bigger steps
• Improved balance/reduced risk of falling
• Increased torso flexibility
• Improvements in activities of daily living

Simon was referred to the LSVT BIG program by Anne Marie Olsen Wagner, CNP, her primary care provider at Winona Health. Anne Marie first heard of the program from her sister-in-law, who is a physical therapist in northern Minnesota and was trained in the program. Olsen Wagner said, “The LSVT BIG program has proven beneficial to helping people who have Parkinson’s disease keep their daily life more ‘normal.’ Since Parkinson’s can be so debilitating in the long run, the sooner someone starts this program the more benefit they are likely to experience, but it can be helpful at any stage of Parkinson’s disease.”

Simon added, “Leah encouraged me to put my all into it. She was so positive and just wonderful. She did everything right along with me, and now it’s something I continue practicing every day at home.”

Winona Health Rehabilitation Services and Sports Therapy is now located in a dedicated suite in the new Winona Family Y at 902 Parks Avenue in Winona, next to Winona Health.

For more information about the LSVT BIG program for people who have Parkinson’s disease or other Winona Health Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy Services, visit winonahealth.org or call 507-457-4329.

Those interested in receiving preventive or rehabilitative therapy should request a referral from their healthcare provider or call 507-457-4329 for assistance.