My husband has been diagnosed for 6yrs now. He is 75. His neurologist suggested a physical therapy program called LSVT, Big and Loud which is the global version. It is large movement and voice therapy.
There is a commitment of 4 days a week, plus exercises at home during that time. Considering the number of medical appointments he has in an average week (he also has lung cancer which is under control) this is a big commitment for both of us since he no longer drives.
He is doing well all around and still plays 9holes of golf once a week, so this isn’t necessary for balance issues.
If you have done this program what were the long term benefits? Do you feel the program was successful in helping you personally?
I’ve done both the LSVT Big & Loud and I cant say enough good things about the programs.
The Big program helped with my balance plus many movement skills to assist me with daily living.
The Loud program helped me with swallowing issues as well as speech. I started the program with a soft gravelly sometimes slurred speech with a mask face. After 4 weeks, my hoarseness was minimal, my speech was pretty clear and my facial expression improved.
Both programs are intended to be continued after completion for the rest of your life to benefit from the programs.
Both programs were very empowering and gave me hope that I had some say about my disease progression.
God bless you both!
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Thank you Mim17! You answer is inspiring. This is exactly the info I was looking for. Life long commitment is something new for us to consider. It sounds like a great program!
My husband has been doing a version of this off the internet for about 3 months now, along with another one for fingers and another for qigong. He also takes a whole lot of supplement and does walking and cross trainer and something is definitely helping. Impossible to tell what though. He is smiling a lot more and less depressed. He is not on c/ l yet.
Yes!! Definitely gave me a huge mental and physical boost and two years later I'm still doing the exercises nightly. Mim17 is right in saying "empowering", that is the effect it had on me.
I did the BIG therapy 6 months ago. Did 2 separate PT sessions b4 of conventional low impact whole body for PD and while helpful the BT far exceeded anything else. I was skeptical about the commitment (4 days/wk X 4 wks). It helped my gait, posture, balance, haven’t fallen since b4 BT. and was perfect rx for insomnia. I slept like a baby. 💤 I hv contd doing at home 2x a wk (1 hr ea X plus walking and stationary bike). Going back for a tuneup in the fall which will be 1/2 the commitment (4 days wk X 2 wks). I stopped driving over 2 yrs ago (DXd 3+ yrs ago) so my 2 dtrs took turns + got help. Perhaps u could get help w/transport. It’s well worth the time and commitment. I am 82. All the best to you. Nikkigirl
I have PD & did the LSVTBig training with a physical therapist. After the month
of training, I took the video home &do the exercises every day ( 20 min)
This training has helped tremendous;y with my balance & walking. It is
effective in improving my pain & stinging in my left foot, hand & arm.
I highly recommend it. Just get a copy of the video & do it faithfully daily.
Chuck (3 yrs & counting with PD)
I am grateful to all of you for your advice and I look forward to more comments from this community. It certainly sounds like most folks who have committed to this program have benefited. That helps tremendously in nudging him forward.
First your husband has to want to do the program! I have seen several wives make their husbands go to these programs and all of them dropped out before finishing the course. There is "homework every night as well as the "classes" that I think are 4 x a week, maybe 3.
I bought hearing aids. Doesn't help when he talks to other people, or help when he tries to talk to me when I am in another room. He says his voice is fine. The mask and difficulty swallowing and choking aside.
One wife said maybe if they would have started earlier when first diagnosed.
I am part of a spouse support group that meets 1x a week while our husbands do the Delay the Disease program. We have 2 men and generally 5 woman. That is not all the spouses just the ones that want to come. The PWPD have had PD for several years.
Thanks for the advice to The Good Wife. I will have to try to find what she wrote but it sounds a lot like my situation. Me, the stool is leaking" answer "call a plumber" Me, the window in the storm door falls out." Answer buy a new one and have it put in.
I don't even ask anymore. I take care of everything besides my husband. I have said it is like having a 2 year old," I can do it myself" only worce. My husband will try to use a chainsaw, light a fire and spill the lighter fluid all over himself and then loose his balance fall and roll toward the fire.
I talked to a therapist about how I need to learn how to deal with him. Her answer was to hire a male health care person to watch over him. As I write this I am laughing at her answer. How would your husband react to a male health care provider following him around and trying to get him to stop doing something?
She did look up dementia and PD and said that the PWPD will think there is nothing wrong with the way they think or what they do. Fat lot of help that was.
This is how something work. Him I want to take out the trash and burn it. Me, I carry out the trash put in into a pile and my husband will try to light a match or use a lighter to start it. Since he can't do that, this is when the lighter fluid comes into play. He fall, I help him up as best as I can, start the fire, we go into the house where I help him change cloths and doctor all his new scrapes. Then go out to the fire and watch it with a water hose in my hand, then put it out and take the trash can back.
I am sorry Pelican9, I should not have unloaded on you. If you decide to try the LOUD program I hope it works for your husband. It takes a lot of effort on his part. The men in our PWPD group were tired after doing the class.
Hi there. I am an LSVT Big clinician and although I may be a bit biased I think both programmes are fantastic. The results I’ve seen have been amazing and really changed people’s quality of life.
It is a commitment but it’s only 4 weeks, and in my opinion well worth it. Keep in mind you have to continue the exercises everyday after the programme has finished. It’s like your medication - if you don’t take it everyday it doesn’t work!
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Well, dementia has been confirmed
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