The Empowerment! RX Podcast

In today's episode, we talk to founder of Urban Poling and developer of Activator Poles, Mandy Shintani.An Occupational Therapist and Gerontologist by trade, learn how Mandy came to develop the poles to help overall wellness and rehabilitation.  See how she studied the design from poles from all over the world and how that became the basis for her creation of the Activator poles.Come learn how these poles not only enhance your overall walking experience by engaging more muscles using the ledge system, but also how they can be used for a variety of populations including Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and more.These are a great investment not only for general health and wellness, but also for mental health as well, since getting outdoors can do wonders for simple clarity.  If you are someone that is working with these type of populations or just looking into different approaches to wellness, come see why these are a great addition to add to your routine!For more information on becoming an instructor, research and more, check out their website:https://urbanpoling.comOn Social media:https://www.facebook.com/UrbanPolinghttps://www.instagram.com/urbanpoling/

"What if your fears were the keys to your dreams?'In this episode, we are talking to Christine Conti,  BS, MEd,  best selling author of Split Second Courage and creator of Let's Face It Together, TM, a facial fitness and rehabilitation program. Come along on Christine's journey of how she overcame her fears after being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and how having split second courage gave her the keys to her happiness and success!See how her original idea of clients asking her to help decrease the signs of aging led Christine  to create a facial fitness program and how that program has been beneficial to helping people with Parkinson's disease, MS, Stroke, Alzheimers and more.  She is author of the Arthritis Fitness Specialist course and has recently added best selling author with her book Split Second Courage.Want to know more about Christine?  You can find more information below:https://contifit.comhttps://twofitcrazies.comhttps://www.facebook.com/christine.conti.96https://www.instagram.com/get_contifit/  

"When we let the music take control, the health effects just happen!"In this episode, we talk to Lisa Pritzl, Joyologist and owner of Empowerment Dance.   See how her journey from dancing at a young age led her to leave her secure job and start her own company through her passion for dancing.No matter who you are, Lisa explains to us that anyone can dance, that dance movements arrive from within and are not concerned with what's happening around us.  She explains how the movements are beneficial to those with movement concerns and gives us a little breakdown of how she implements the movements in her classes.  You can feel the passion in Lisa as she talks about the joy she brings to her classes.  If you're not convinced after you listen to her, try out one of her classes and see the amazing benefits that is offered from her classes. For more information on Empowerment Dance, you can find Lisa at: https://empowermentdance.com or follow her on social media on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/EmpoweredToDance/ https://www.instagram.com/empowerment_dance  #empowermentdancegb#joy#parkinonsdisease#danceforallages#danceforseniors  

In this episode, we talk to Annie Tamburello-Croley, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS, owner of Cortex Initiative about the importance of speech therapy services for Parkinson's disease as well the services she provides for the wounded warriors.Annie explains what is involved with a speech evaluation in regards to speech, swallowing and cognition and the types of treatment that are typically given for Parkinson's disease.Annie also dives into working with wounded warriors and how her services benefit military members with TBI's.  Come listen to the wonderful organizations she works with to help the military members get back to normalcy after serving in their missions.For more information or for any questions you may have, you can find Annie at:www.cortexinitiative.comand on social mediahttps://www.facebook.com/Cortex-Initiative-1043163642520961https://www.instagram.com/cortex_initiative/#podcast#empowermentrxpodcast#speechlanguagepathologist#parkinsonsdisease#woundedwarrior#tbi#757#military

Today we share a patient's perspective of living with Parkinson's disease and follow his journey from his diagnosis to how he is doing today.  Meet Jay, a US Navy Veteran and retired director of transportation with the city of Virginia Beach.  Jay, no stranger to public speaking, felt a wave of panic during an in-service with public school bus drivers that scared him enough to have someone take over for him.  This led him to input his symptoms on WebMD and to a visit to his primary care physician which ultimately sent him to a neurologist.  Listen to Jay and his uplifting message on how he deals with Parkinson's disease and how this diagnosis doesn't let it define who he is. 

Today we speak to Tricia L'Heureux, MPT, a neurological physical therapist with over 15 years' experience with the Parkinson's population.  She is LSVT Big Certified, a certified PWR! Therapist, and a certified Rock Steady Boxing coach.  She also has experience working with vestibular conditions. Tricia takes us on her journey into physical therapy and how she ended up working with the Parkinson's population.  She explains why it is important for someone living with Parkinson's disease work with a therapist that is specialized in Parkinson's versus a general physical therapist.  She dives into what she is looking for during her evaluation and how she implements your treatment into your everyday activities to make life easier.  She also explains why certain exercises show more carryover than the traditional exercises most physical therapist use to treat. If you are unsure of what you should be looking for in your treatment for Parkinson's disease, Tricia gives you insightful information on what you should be doing. 

“Parkinson's disease doesn't discriminate regarding age!”We spoke to movement disorder specialist, Karen Thomas, D.O., as she explains common symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease and what kind of things contribute to receiving a diagnosis.  What does a typical visit with a movement disorder look like and what things are they are looking for when working with someone with Parkinson's disease?  Learn why some people are not diagnosed in early stages since most often they visit their primary doctor, and their diagnosis gets delayed due to common symptoms that appear as an orthopedic issue  There are 3 main aspects to every visit:1: Getting a good history2. Physical exam3. Diagnosis and Treatment She explains the difference between a general neurologist and a movement disorder specialist.  Why is important to see a movement disorder specialist and what questions should you ask a general neurologist if you don't have the option to see a movement disorder specialist?  What type of treatments are the best when treating Parkinson's disease?  Come learn the answers to these questions and more!Below is Dr. Karen Thomas's medical education and experience.Medical EducationD.O. : Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine - 1996Medical ExperienceInternship: Firelands Regional Medical Center (July 1, 1996 - June 1, 1997)Internship: University of South Alabama Medical Center (July 1, 1997 - July 1, 1998)Residency: University of South Alabama (July 1, 1998 - June 30, 2001)Fellowship: Barrow Neurological Institute (July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002)

In this episode, learn about Wendy's journey from starting her career in cardiac rehabilitation to working with the Parkinson's disease community.  See how she saw a huge gap from the medical field to the wellness world and what led her to begin her own wellness center for Parkinson's disease and MS patients. Find her at https://empowerment-wellness.com