An exercise approach built for Parkinson's disease, with a PWR!Moves certified physical therapist in Santee, CA.
Parkinson's disease makes movement smaller and slower without you noticing. Steps shorten. Arms stop swinging. Getting out of a chair takes a second try. PWR!Moves is an exercise approach designed to push back against exactly that.
At Live Life Physiotherapy in Santee, Dr. Karl Burris, PT, DPT, is a PWR!Moves certified therapist. Every session is one-on-one and in person at our clinic. It is a core part of our Parkinson's physical therapy.
PWR! stands for Parkinson Wellness Recovery. The program was created by a physical therapist and Parkinson's researcher, and it is built on a simple idea: practice the movements Parkinson's takes away, and practice them big.
That means large, deliberate, high-effort movement. It is the opposite of gentle stretching. You work hard enough to feel it, because effort is part of what makes the training carry over into daily life.
PWR!Moves trains four building blocks of everyday movement.
Each move can be practiced lying down, on hands and knees, sitting or standing. That range lets us start wherever you are today and progress from there.
The best thing about PWR!Moves is that it is not regimented. There is no set list of exercises that everyone works through in the same order. We can be creative, choosing and shaping movements to match your symptoms and your goals.
At Live Life Physiotherapy, we think it is crucial to experience, get comfortable with and keep the ability to get down to the floor and back up again. Many people stop going to the floor long before they have to, and the skill fades from lack of use.
PWR!Moves is well suited to this. Getting up from the floor is a chain of positions and the movements between them: lying on your back (supine), on your side (sidelying) and on your stomach (prone), then hands and knees, half kneeling and standing. We work through each stage on its own, then put them together.
At your first visit, we talk about what has become harder, then measure your walking, balance, strength and how you get up from a chair and the floor.
From there, sessions pair the four moves with the tasks you care about. If turning in the kitchen is the problem, we train the twist and the step, then practice turning in the kitchen pattern. You leave with a short home program so the work continues between visits.
Balance is a big part of this work. Read more in Parkinson's and balance: why falls happen and what helps.
PWR!Moves can be adapted for any stage of Parkinson's. People who were just diagnosed use it to build habits early. People who have lived with Parkinson's for years use it to get back movements they thought were gone.
You do not need to be fit to start. You do need to be willing to work.
Live Life Physiotherapy is at 9225 Carlton Hills Blvd in Santee, a short drive from El Cajon, Lakeside, La Mesa and San Carlos. We see patients from these communities, and all over San Diego County. We accept Medicare and most PPO plans.
Call (619) 800-8173 or request a call back on our contact page.
PWR!Moves is a registered trademark of Parkinson Wellness Recovery.