You CAN Do This On Your Own

Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, disorder with four key characteristics: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. It is estimated that Parkinson's affects more than one million Americans, with a three to fourfold increase in disease rate expected in the United States over the next ten years. While there is presently no cure, emerging research supports the benefits of exercise as a means of improving and preserving motor, speech, and swallowing function.


Although medication is the mainstay of treatment for Parkinson's, even when patients are optimally medicated, they may still suffer problems. In fact, 90 - 95% of individuals with PD report voice and swallowing problems . These problems are often sub clinical, however, meaning, often the individual is unaware they are having difficulty, until those difficulties are documented on clinical or instrumental exam by a speech-language pathologist.


Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy is often recommended for patients who are symptomatic, with a goal of reducing the emergence of more serious complications such as falls in the home due to postural instability, or aspiration due to swallowing disorders. Following completion of formal therapy, however, individuals are often left to independently perform exercise on their own, and in time, the progress made in response to therapy may begin to lessen, and there may be a return or worsening of original symptoms.


In response to the need for continued exercise and following completion of formal therapy, Voice Aerobics(TM) was developed. Voice Aerobics (TM) incorporates training in the skills which support normal speech and swallowing, such as diaphragmatic breathing . Voice Aerobics (TM) is also beneficial for newly diagnosed individuals who deny symptoms or who verbalize: "I don't think I need therapy yet." Participation in a voice and exercise program before you have noticeable symptoms may serve to heighten awareness about bodily changes due to PD, such as: loss of range of motion and flexibility, reduced breath support due to changes in pulmonary function and reduced vocal intensity (loudness), due to changes in the larynx ( voice box).

In a study reported in Neurology, investigators looked at the effect of 4 weeks of intensive physical rehabilitation for individuals with moderate PD. The authors concluded: " physical disability in moderately advanced PD objectively improves with a regular physical rehabilitation program, but this improvement is not sustained when normal activity is resumed."


Voice Aerobics(TM) is a fun, easy program, that offers individuals with PD the opportunity for independent exercise at home, and the ability to maintain improvements achieved in formal therapy programs.