Welcome to an archive of our Articles posted to the PWR! Website.

Lots of smiling new faces at PWR!

Welcome to Jenna Munson!! She joins the wonderful PWR! front office team as the Therapy Coordinator. Jenna brings a strong background of customer service in the medical field. She loves to meet new people and see the progress that physical therapy can bring to patients’ lives. She’s looking forward to getting to know our PWR!Gym members. If you have not…

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Mapping the future of Parkinson’s and more….

Interesting reading and watching from Dr. Becky Farley A video intro to understanding the Genetics of Parkinson disease from the Parkinson’s Foundation. At only 7.5 minutes long, it is an excellent resource to view.Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Youtube Video link Why Some Dairy Products Are More Closely Linked to Parkinson’s Disease“High levels of organochlorine…

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PWR! Wellness Series: Fall Prevention

Fall Prevention Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among people over 60 years old. The base cause of most falls is fear. This presentation will look at what causes fear, how it works to make a fall likely, and what we can do to lessen fear and fall risk. It will look at…

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Farewell Hannah

Farewell Hanna Kleinbart On July 26th the PWR!Gym said goodbye to Hannah Kleinbart. She is leaving to spend a year in Madrid, Spain. It is hard to believe that she has been with us a year. Hannah came to the PWR!Gym initially as an intern from the University of Arizona, School Of Public Health. She…

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PWR! Outreach

Outreach. We love to be in the community reaching out and PWR!ing Up!   PMD Alliance invited PWR!‘s very own Nancy Nelson to lead a movement break out session at their Spotlight On Treatment Conference. Nancy had the whole room in a PWR!Move!   Nancy and Natasha attended the Oro Valley Chamber – Non-Profit Vendor…

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PWR!Move of the Month: Resistance Bands

The PWR! Move of the Month for August 2019   We know the PWR!Moves are the building blocks for function. They are all that and so much more! We often have people tell us they need to work on strength. In addition to being functional, the PWR!Moves work on strength with or without added resistance.…

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TWISTED UP on the OUTSIDE?

What can you do when your movement disorder gets you TWISTED UP on the OUTSIDE?   Dystonia may be the reason why your muscles twist in ways that you do not want them to. Dystonia is a disorder that causes involuntary, repetitive, twisting muscle movements. It can occur on its own, or with Parkinson disease.…

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Dance for PD

PWR! Wellness Series: Dance for PD Join us and teaching artist, Debbie Braganza, as we experience the mentally, physically, and psychologically stimulating effects of dance! Dance is first and foremost a stimulating mental activity that connects mind to body. Debbie teaches at Dance for PD in Phoenix, AZ, where she uses dance as an effective…

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PWR! Retreat 2019 Wrap-Up

PWR! Retreat Class of 2019 worked so hard! Whether it was early morning pole walking, daily exercise classes (PWR!Moves, Circuit training, or Nexus), giant Jenga or Bollywood dance, every Retreat attendee brought their A-game! We congratulate all of our Attendees on their incredible accomplishment and all they achieved in one short week! We sincerely hope…

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Jimmy Choi helping prevent serious falls with Tuck and Roll

Jimmy Choi with the Tuck and Roll to avoid serious injury from a fall

American Ninja Warrior, Jimmy Choi, took our staff and volunteers through the “Tuck and Roll” while we were at the PWR! Retreat in May. As he explained, learning this skill can help save you from a serious injury if a fall should happen. The “Tuck and Roll” teaches you how to fall, so you can…

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Please join us at an upcoming PMD Alliance event.

PMD Alliance is hosting their Spotlight on Treatment Conference (a workshop for individuals impacted by Parkinson’s) on Thursday, July 25th. Invited speakers include Dr. Maria Cristina Ospina (PWR! Retreat 2019 Speaker) who will be addressing questions, such as: – Does your medication take too long to start working? – Is it wearing off before the…

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Legislation to help organizations helping those with Parkinson’s

Update – The AZ Tax Credit Bill (SB 1027) has been approved! We are delighted to report that, following months of testimony and advocacy by the Executive team at PWR!, Governor Ducey finally signed SB 1027 into law on June 7, 2019. Under the new law, the definition of qualifying organizations has been broadened to…

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World Parkinson Congress – Comparing forward and backward walking speeds

Delanee Schwartz thesis project presented at World Parkinson Congress 2019 “Comparing forward and backward walking speeds with age and disease severity in persons with Parkinson disease.”     Credits: Becky Farley, PT, MS, PhD; Delanee Schwartz BS; Valerie Carter, DPT; Tarang Jain, PT, PhD Parkinson Wellness Recovery, Tucson, Arizona; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona   Delanee…

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Diet and Pesticides – Interesting Reading from Dr. Becky Farley

AMAZING!  Dr. Greger does it again.  A wonderful example of how diet can be protective against pesticides that may cause DNA mutations that trigger PD and other diseases.  The flavonoid phytonutrients in berries appear to interfering with the build up and clumping of the alpha-synuclein protein that leads to cell death.  If you read or watch…

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Navigating the Storm – Caregiver Tools – Wellness Series – June 2019

Navigating the Storm – Tools for Caregivers June 20th, 2019 4:00 – 5:30PM Join us and registered nurse,Tani Bahti, as we explore the common challenges faced by care partners for those with progressive illnesses. She will empower individuals with the tools needed to overcome these challenges and provide effective methods of asking for help. Issues…

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American Parkinson Disease Association

PWR! Presentation in Tucson May 7th, 2019 – free open to the public

Taken from the American Parkinson Disease Association Email:   Community Announcement for Tucson Monthly Parkinson’s Disease Education Series Tuesday, May 7, 2019 2:00 to 3:30 pm Topic: Exercise and Physical Therapy Speaker: Nancy Nelson Nancy Nelson manages the PWR!Gym in Tucson. PWR stands for Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and fitness…

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PWR! Wellness Series: Music Therapy

Music Therapy for PD May 16, 2019 4:00-5:30PM Participating in musical activities is not only enjoyable, but music transcends all ages, cultures and abilities. Research has shown that music affects many areas of the human brain (motor, language and cognitive function) by activating multiple neuro-pathways. Join board-certified music therapist, Sarah Laing, as she discusses and…

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Alpha Epsilon Delta Dodgeball Tournament Benefitting PWR!

Let us tell you about a wonderful community event benefitting PWR! In our lead up to National Parkinson Month, the PWR! staff was delighted to participate in a dodgeball tournament hosted by Alpha Epsilon Delta at the University of Arizona. AED is the university’s National Health Pre-Professional Honor Society dedicated to the encouragement and recognition…

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Spring 2019 Intern Perspectives on being at PWR!

The PWR! Gym has been very fortunate to have a relationship with the School of Public Health at the University of Arizona.  They have provided us with some amazing interns that have been assets to have at our organization.  During the Spring Semester we were very lucky to have 3 Public Health Interns, 2 from…

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From Dr. Becky Farley

Proper Nutrition May Prevent More Severe Motor Problems in Parkinson’s, Study Suggests “A team of international researchers explored the link between Parkinson’s severity and obesity, focusing on whether excess fat was deposited at the hip and thigh areas (gynoid), or at the abdominal region (android). The investigators also assessed if nutritional status might alter the…

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PWR! Retreat

Our educational speakers are confirmed and we have new and exciting content for all to enjoy. Take a moment to look at the speakers for the PWR! Retreat May 26th – June 1st, 2019. Visit the speaker list here. We are so excited and registration is about to close! Come and enjoy meeting new friends…

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April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month We support the community impacted by Parkinson’s every way we can. Working hands-on with people with Parkinson’s, providing a strong support system for care partners, and sharing information and research through our educational Community Talks and Wellness Series around the country are a few of the ways we make a…

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PWR! Wellness Series: CBD

CBD: What is it, how can it help with Parkinson symptoms? April 18, 2019 4:00-5:30PM Join us in the discussion with Micaela Hornstein, DPT, as she explains what CBD is, how it works in the body, and how it affects someone with Parkinson’s! With a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Doctorate of Physical Therapy,…

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