Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) is hosting a free Parkinson’s disease support group from 4 - 5:30 p.m., Friday, June 10, in Conference Room C. The meeting is open to patients, family members, caregivers and anyone interested in learning about Parkinson’s disease.

The group will feature a presentation on the BIG Program. BIG is a physical and occupational therapy program designed to meet the needs of individuals with Parkinson’s disease. BIG is a standardized exercise program designed to help increase mobility, speed and quality of life for individuals with Parkinson's disease by focusing on amplitude of body and limb movements.
The presentation will be given by Physical Therapist, Elle Nyre, P.T. Elle has been a physical therapist at VVMC for 14 years. She has been working with individuals who have Parkinson's since 2008.

Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. It is both chronic and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse and continue over time. Some common symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors of the hands, arms, legs or jaw; rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; slowness of movement; and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.

As many as 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. On average, the onset age for Parkinson’s disease is 60 years old; however, an estimated 15 percent of Parkinson’s disease patients are diagnosed before the age 50.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Verde Valley Medical Center, visit VerdeValleyMedicalCenter.com. For more information about VVMC’s Parkinson’s support groups or to learn about other support groups held at VVMC, please call 928 639-6383.