Power through Parkinson’s with PWR!Moves
Ever Heard of PWR!MOVES? No? Well, It’s Time You Did and Here’s Why!
PWR! stands for Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery. It’s pronounced “POWER!” And it’s a modern rehab approach to help people who have, you guessed it, Parkinson’s Disease. What we hear out there about Parkinson’s tends to be some pretty scary, depressing stuff.
Even people I’ve met who have Parkinson’s have told me how they think once the diagnosis happens, its an unstoppable spiral downwards from there…
Except, that it’s NOT true!
What if I told you Parkinson’s Disease IS stoppable? That the progression of the disease can be prevented? That you WILL be able to walk normally again?
Because that’s what the research behind PWR!MOVES has seen. In the most recent studies out there on Parkinson’s, it’s been found that exercise does something amazing for our bodies that actually can stop the progression of the disease.
And here’s where it gets scientific sounding… Exercise increases synapses in the body for the hormone dopamine to connect to. Decreased dopamine levels is what causes Parkinson’s Disease. Exercise allows the dopamine that is in the body to be more likely to be used because there are more connections possible to be made.
Kind of think of it as going fishing. Imagine there’s only one fish in the pond. If you bring one fishing rod with you, you have a small chance to catch the fish. But if you do alittle extra work and bring 10 fishing rods, you’ve just significantly increased your chance of catching that fish. That’s what exercise does for dopamine.
And if there’s more dopamine in the body, then other symptoms of Parkinson’s are going to improve. Including improving physical symptoms like rigidity and motor planning or even in extreme cases, just taking normal steps again.
Now PWR! has found that it’s not just any exercise that works (*insert frustrated sigh here), it takes a specific approach designed to challenge the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
But here’s the good news, that’s just what PWR!MOVES does!
It’s based off a two point model that requires
1) intensity at a certain percentage of your heart rate
2) be constantly progressive. Don’t worry about this part, that’s your certified PWR! therapist’s job to figure out and challenge you to your optimal potential.
A unique aspect of PWR! is that it’s a fluid model that can be adapted to any Parkinson’s patient’s level. If you can’t walk more than a few steps before you freeze up, then we’ll begin there. If you’re the woman with Parkinson’s running 5ks (Yes! They exist!) we’ll meet you at a more intense level of exercise.
Do you want the best and fastest change in your symptoms? Then be prepared to be dedicated and challenged. Because your physical therapists will be pushing you to new levels you never thought you could reach to get you strong again.
Expect to attend 4-5 days a week for 2 weeks to see the most improvement in your symptoms. A less intense program is also possible at 3x week and for a longer duration overall. But keep in mind that the less consecutive days you are challenged the less effect you’ll see.
Check out this link to see how people with Parkinson’s have gotten better because of PWR!MOVES:
Ok, so now you’ve heard about PWR! and now you know what it can do for you or a loved one with Parkinson’s Disease. Don’t you feel a lot better after reading this?
Don’t let the fact that you have Parkinson’s redefine you! Go find a certified PWR!MOVES therapist to help you get YOU back!
HINT: HealthQuest Physical Therapy has multiple therapists who are certified and are available near you! Call them! 😉 Schedule today!
About the author
Written by Veronica Der-Ghazarian, PTA (at Algonac HealthQuest PT), PWR!MOVES certified
Veronica is a physical therapist assistant (PTA), outdoors enthusiast, soccer player, oldest of 9 kids, and enjoys motivating people to get moving again. She also owns 5 chickens.
