Banner program helps Parkinson's patients speak and move
By Cecila Chan
The Arizona Repubic
SUN CITY (Oct. 14, 2009) Banner Bosewell Hospital has launched a program to help patients with Parkinson's disease improve their speaking and motor skills.
Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder that affects about 1 million people in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. There is no cure for the disease, which causes tremors, limb stiffness, slow movements and impaired balance.
Typically, patients also experience a lower speaking volume and unclear speech.
The average age of those who develop the disease is the early 60s.
Banner's Big and Loud program, which takes patients with a doctor's referral, is a two-pronged approach to dealing with the disease's symptoms.
