T
hough Howell resident Heather Cooper had once been
an active, outgoing person, her symptoms from early-
onset Parkinson's disease began five years ago and got
progressively worse. "I'd always been very adventurous and
athletic and had even worked as a yoga instructor and at a ski
resort managing a lodge, but by the summer of 2015, I couldn't
walk, my left arm hung, and I was always shaking," the 46-year-old
insurance analyst says. "I'd also gotten very anxious and became
terrified to drive long distances." While colleagues began noticing
THINKING
BIG
HOWELL
PATIENT
IS
LIVING
LIFE
TO
THE
FULLEST
AGAIN
THANKS
TO
THE
LSVT
BIG
®
PROGRAM
AT
CENTRASTATE
her symptoms and her condition took a toll on her
work and social life, "it never crossed my mind that I
might have Parkinson's at my age," Heather says of the
disease. "It was an unexpected and scary diagnosis."
While her doctor immediately started her on
targeted medication and physical therapy, she also
recommended that Heather work with a therapist
trained in the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT)
'BIG
®
' program—an exercise treatment protocol
offered by LSVT-certified occupational and physical
therapists to improve fine and gross motor function,
both of which can be significantly impacted by
Heather Cooper is feeling strong after Parkinson's
rehabilitation therapy at CentraState.
6 Fall 2016 Healthy Directions
