Caitlin Yahne
PT, DPT, CSRS, LSVTBIG

Stephen Landeene
PT, DPT, LSVTBIG, CFCE

Aaron Molina
PT, DPT, LSVTBIG, AIB-VRC

The LSVT BIG program is an intensive program designed to assist people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in creating a “new normal” within the signaling system between the brain and the body in order to normalize their movement. People with PD tend to move differently, in a way that tends to be smaller and slower. Therefore, the program is focused on amplitude which is the amount of perceived effort required to perform movement. LSVT BIG seeks to “recalibrate” a person’s perception of how much effort is required to allow their perceived movements to match what others actually see.

The program assists patients in this “recalibration” process through lots of repetition and the “Think BIG!” concept that is used throughout the entire program. LSVT BIG reteaches how normal movement should feel. Most often, to people with PD, these movements feel too big, but the reality is, that “too big” feeling movement tends to be comparable with others normal movement patterns. Over time, this “too big” movement pattern becomes normal feeling and normalizes one’s movement pattern.

LSVT BIG targets all kind of movements and activities! The program involves exercises that target specific deficits related to PD, as well as important functional activities, including walking, sit-to-stand transfers, balance, and more. This program is also designed to target specific activities that are a priority to each individual patient, that are single step activities like opening a door or a multi-step activity like going to a restaurant.