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2008 Columbia Symposium

The 2008 Columbia Symposium was a great success, with around 350 people in attendance. Keynote speaker was Dr. Abraham Lieberman, Director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Lieberman educated participants on the different classes of drugs in Parkinson’s disease and how they are used. He also explained the physiological basis of physical therapy in Parkinson’s disease and gave participants very practical tips for exercise to improve posture, balance, and strength.

Melody Morehouse, PT, MHA, DHA, manager of Palmetto Home Care in Columbia, followed up with a presentation on the categories of exercises that can benefit people with Parkinson’s disease. She gave participants strategies and tools for coping with activities of daily living, particularly for coping with “gait freeze”.

Debbie Clark, MSW, co-founder of Caring for Caregivers in Columbia, helped caregivers understand the emotional roller coaster of caregiving and equipped them with strategies for managing the roller coaster for the long haul.

DVD’s of this event may be purchased by calling (803) 261-0870 or emailing bemo@sc.rr.com.

PAC Sidebar

Parkinsonism

Any person who has the signs and symptoms characteristic of Parkinson's disease is said to have "parkinsonism", but not every person with parkinsonism has Parkinson's disease, it's only one of the possibilities.

Patients and their families need to understand parkinsonism, because some 20 to 25 percent of people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease will eventually be discovered to have some other form of parkinsonism. Parkinsonism may look like Parkinson's disease, but over time it does not act like it.

For this reason, if you have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease it is important to see a neurologist who has experience diagnosing and treating this disorder.