By Hadley Hagemann, PT, DPT. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily impacts movement control. This condition arises from the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, particularly those responsible for producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential for facilitating smooth and coordinated muscle movements. People experiencing Parkinson's disease experience a wide variety of symptoms, but some common symptoms typically include: To properly address these deficits, physical therapy and guidance on medication from a movement specialist neurologist are both necessary. The gold standard for treating Parkinson's disease in physical therapy is the PWR! Moves. The PWR! Moves is a collection of exercises with four major sections that focus on the main deficits of Parkinson's disease. PWR! Moves Sections The PWR! moves all have these same four sections, and they are completed in five different positions. PWR! Moves Positions A recommended dose of 10 minutes per day of PWR! moves have been shown to reduce the progression of Parkinson's disease over time. In physical therapy, your physical therapist will identify which symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are most inhibiting your daily function and work with you to work directly toward your functional goals. If you, or someone in your community, has been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and they have not seen a PWR! specialist in their area, get scheduled at our clinic today to fight the progression of Parkinson's disease. You can email Hadley Hagemann, PT, DPT ([email protected]) for any questions regarding physical therapy and Parkinson's disease. For more information about the PWR! Moves, visit their website at https://www.pwr4life.org/.