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Safety Tips for Showering/Bathing

Avoiding falls and preventing secondary injuries are an important goal for both Occupational and Physical therapy.  The risk of a fall is increased and has the possibility of more severe injuries in the bathroom.  Therefore, it is important to take precautions while showering/bathing to ensure safety. Some recommendations include: 1)     …

Dr. Okun interviewed on Your Health Matters podcast

Dr. Michael Okun, Co-Director of the UF Center for Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration and the Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation, talked with Dr. Craig Wax on the Your Health Matters podcast about Parkinson disease, the NPF “Aware in Care” initiative and much more. Listen here: Your Health…

Energy Conservation for Parkinson’s patients

Why is it that a decline in energy is common with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s?                 There are a variety of factors that can lead to an increase in fatigue with Parkinson’s, including: stress, muscle stiffness, impaired sleep, depression and even certain medications.  Parkinson’s symptoms create a decrease in efficiency…

Hand tremor and computer use

Are your tremors making it difficult to control the computer mouse?  Hand, arm or trunk tremors can interfere with fine motor precision.  It can become difficult to position the pointer on the icon in which you are trying to click.  Most computers will allow you to slow the speed of the mouse, therefore…

Therapy Tips to Prevent Falls in Your Home

Postural instability is a common feature of Parkinson Disease. As a result of delayed reaction time, rigidity, bradykinesia, and poor control of the center of mass, falls occur. Falls are a leading cause of bone fractures, brain injuries, hospitalizations, and mortality of persons with Parkinson Disease. What can YOU do…

Handwriting Tips for Parkinson Patients

To improve legibility of handwriting, lean on table/desk with forearm and elbow while writing.  This helps stabilize the upper arm which allows for better control at the hand.

CMDNR postdoctoral fellow, Elizabeth Stegemoller Ph.D., is featured in Parkinson’s Action Network program

Post doctoral fellow, Dr. Elizabeth Stegemoller is interviewed  in a recent Parkinson’s Action Network feature. In February, the Parkinson’s Action Network hosted its inaugural Postdoctoral Investigator Poster Session inWashington,DC, at which 17 researchers presented their work in the field of Parkinson’s research.  After the poster session, Dr. Stegemoller stayed in Washington…

Get a Bone Scan if you have Parkinson’s Disease Even if You are a Man

UF undergraduate student Sara Daniel published this paper on bone health in men with Parkinson’s disease. It is becoming clear than men with PD are at risk for brittle bones and should be getting bone scans and having regular discussions about their bone health. Below is the abstract from Sara’s…