Big & Loud Therapy Program
The BIG & LOUD physical therapy program at Guthrie County Hospital is helping patients with Parkinson’s disease improve function and slow motor deterioration by retraining sensory, motor, and cognitive functions through intensive exercise and patient empowerment.
The BIG therapy program is a standardized exercise approach developed from 20 years of research and has shown documented improvements in balance, trunk rotation and faster walking with bigger steps. The program trains patients to make bigger movements and teaches the amount of effort required to produce normal movements in real world, everyday activities.
Along with the BIG therapy program, the LOUD program is offered by speech therapist at Guthrie County Hospital. Because it is common that individuals with Parkinson’s disease have difficulty being loud enough for people to hear, run out of air when talking, and avoid groups of people/conversations because of their voice, the LOUD program strives to increase patient’s success with communication by improving the patient’s voice and speech function.
The LOUD program is designed to increase the loudness of one’s voice and improve speech clarity through repetitive tasks with varying complexity that lead to carryover in all daily tasks upon completion of this program.
The BIG and LOUD therapy programs are offered through the Rehab Services Department at Guthrie County Hospital. Talk to your doctor for a referral if you think you or a family member may benefit from these programs.
To learn more, call the Guthrie County Hospital Rehab Services Department at (641) 332-3810.
Jenna Castle, DPT
Jenna is a licensed Physical Therapist. She attended Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelors in Kinesiology and Health. She graduated PT school from Creighton University with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She provides treatment at Guthrie County Hospital and Stuart Rehab Clinic.
Beth Lyon, DPT
Beth is a licensed physical therapist. As an undergraduate, she attended Iowa State University, graduating with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology and Health. She went onto the University of Mary, in Bismarck, ND to receive her Doctor of Physical Therapy. She provides treatment at Guthrie County Hospital to inpatients, outpatients, and home health through Guthrie County Public Health.
McKenzie Jensen, MA CCC-SLP
McKenzie is a certified Speech Language Pathologist who graduated with her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Iowa. She provides treatments in the hospital, in private homes, as outpatients, and at nursing homes. McKenzie enjoys working with individuals of all ages.
Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery
Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery, is a method of exercise delivered by a licensed therapist designed to target the specific motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The method was developed by Becky Farley, who is the founder of the research-proven LSVT Big protocol. The hallmark difference between LSVT Big and PWR is that PWR is not delivered in a specific protocol model like LSVT Big. PWR can be matched to a patient’s specific needs and abilities. This makes it easier for us as certified therapists to evaluate a patient, identify precisely where they have difficulty in their daily lives, and prescribe the most specific exercise program possible.
To learn more, call the Guthrie County Hospital Rehab Services Department at (641) 332-3810.
Rory Johnston, OTR/L, CLWT
Rory is a registered Occupational Therapist through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. He is licensed in the state of Iowa. Rory completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa, majoring in Psychology. He attended graduate school for Occupational Therapy at the University of Minnesota. Rory treats patients at Guthrie County Hospital, in home through Guthrie County Public Health and is now accepting patients at the Stuart Rehab Clinic.