Your nerves and muscles work together to produce movement. Nerves send signals between your muscles and your brain about where, when and how fast to move. Even the slightest impairment can have significant implications on function, including movement, balance, coordination, decreased kinesthetic sense, and impaired proprioception. Another critical function of nerves is to send signals about our interface with our environment: texture, pain, temperature, etc. Dysfunction of this system can result in heightened pain response, swelling, functional impairment/incoordination, hypersensitivity to stimuli or lack of sensation.

Balance & Fall Prevention

 Balance and Fall Prevention/Proprioceptive training - Problems with balance make it difficult to interact with our environment when standing, walking, or even sitting. We rely on a variety of systems to maintain our balance; our vision, inner ear, muscular system, and proprioception (the ability to recognize the body’s position in space).  Our therapists are trained to establish an individualized program to fit for your needs, and will work on the systems that are limiting your ability to maintain good balance.

Some causes of decreased balance and increased risk of falling can include:

• Vertigo

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Neurological Conditions - ie. stroke, TBI, Parkinson’s

• Joint Stiffness

• Muscle weakness

• Vision problems

LSVT BIG®

Elevate Rehab has the only LVST BIG credentialed outpatient therapist in the Lander area.

LSVT BIG is a program that was developed for neurologic disorders, specifically Parkinson’s Syndrome, that has been documented to be effective in the short term management of movement limitations. Specifically, training has been shown to increase amplitude of limb and body movement (Bigness) in people with Parkinson disease with documented improvements in amplitude (trunk rotation/gait) that generalized to improved speed (upper/lower limbs), balance, and most importantly, quality of life. In addition, people were able to maintain these improvements when challenged with a dual task.

LSVT BIG is administered in 16 sessions over a single month (four individual 60 minute sessions per week). This protocol was developed specifically to address the unique movement impairments for people with Parkinson disease. The protocol is both intensive and complex, with many repetitions of core movements that are used in daily living. This type of practice is necessary to optimize learning and carryover of your better movement into everyday life!

Start exercising NOW – as soon as possible. Physicians rarely refer their patients to health and fitness programs at diagnosis because medications are very effective early on at alleviating most of the symptoms, and patients experience little change in function. Yet, according to a recent survey it is at the time of diagnosis that patients often begin to consider lifestyle changes and seek education about conventional and complementary/alternative treatment options. Thus referrals to exercise, wellness programs and physical/occupational therapy would be best initiated at diagnosis, when it may have the most impact on quality of life.