{"id":4498,"date":"2018-10-13T13:30:38","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T18:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=4498"},"modified":"2022-04-22T14:19:33","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T19:19:33","slug":"new-tricks-help-slow-down-parkinsons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/new-tricks-help-slow-down-parkinsons\/","title":{"rendered":"New tricks help retired police officer to slow down Parkinson\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"

When David Alfredson was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a> in May 2015, he was left with more questions than answers. A friend\u2019s suggestion, however, led him to the OSF Center for Health \u2013 State Street, where he learned how to fight back against the effects of the disease.<\/p>\n

After an evaluation, the now-72-year-old David, of Loves Park, Illinois, began the Lee Silverman Voice Technique, or LVST BIG program, in August 2015. David learned the exercises needed to maintain his motor functions as long as possible. Parkinson\u2019s isn\u2019t curable, but patients can take action to slow it down.<\/p>\n

Back on Track<\/h2>\n
\"David

David Alfredson is right at home in his woodshop.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cParkinson\u2019s is a debilitating disease,\u201d David said. \u201cYou start to lose your voice and coordination. Everything slows down and gets hard to deal with. Stairs are hard to climb. The BIG program helps you exaggerate your movements, walk with bigger steps, lift your feet and not shuffle them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For four weeks, David worked with Candice Ackerman, an OSF HealthCare physical therapist<\/a>, who used some tough love to get David on the right track.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn’t realize how slowly I was walking, but as you get in the program you realize \u2018I am really lagging behind.\u2019 Walking, getting out of chairs \u2013 those were issues. Looking back I realized I had been having problems. I was overlooking my flaws.\u201d<\/p>\n

The road ahead<\/h2>\n

David continues to do his LSVT BIG exercises at home almost daily. When an emergency surgery in July 2017 sidelined him for eight weeks, he regressed significantly. He could maybe lift eight pounds of weight with his arms. However, through hard work, he regained most of the ground he lost by November.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I hadn\u2019t been doing it, I\u2019d probably be a lump in a chair not moving at all,\u201d David said.<\/p>\n

With help from his exercises, David is able to enjoy retirement and do the things he likes, like woodworking. He even recently got a small lathe, and has taken up woodturning, making small things like bowls and unique pens.<\/p>\n

David also completed the LSVT LOUD program, which uses exercises to help Parkinson\u2019s patients speak clearly and project their voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith any of the therapists I\u2019ve had at OSF HealthCare<\/a>, if I had a question or a problem, I can ask them, and they will take time to work with me and get me on track,\u201d David said. \u201cEverybody I\u2019ve dealt with at the health center has just been super.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When David Alfredson was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease in May 2015, he was left with more questions than answers. A friend\u2019s suggestion, however, led him to the OSF Center for Health \u2013 State Street, where he learned how to fight back against the effects of the disease. After an evaluation, the now-72-year-old David, of Loves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":4501,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[99,223],"tags":[878,853],"coauthors":[692],"class_list":["post-4498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neurosciences","category-patient-story","tag-parkinsons-disease","tag-physical-therapy"],"yoast_head":"\nNew tricks help retired police officer slow down Parkinson\u2019s | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thanks to his Physical and Speech Therapists, David has been able to slow the progression of his Parkinson's Disease disease and get back to enjoying life.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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