Professor Lynn Rochester answers questions from the audience, watched by Ken Bowler and David Adams, Branch ChairThis exciting one-day event was aimed at everyone affected by, and involved with, Parkinson’s. The first presentation was by Professor Lynn Rochester, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, who described the research evidence for the effects of exercise and more general activities on people with Parkinson’s (PwP’s)
She was followed by Julie Jones, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, Robert Gordon University, who focused on gait and the practical measures that could be utilised by physiotherapists in treating patients. A short summary of the lectures, written by Branch member Alison Williams, is here:
You can download their presentations as pdf files by clicking on the following links:
You can also read short digests of both talks, written by Branch member Alison Williams, by clicking on the following
The lectures were followed by a session on voice work by Wendy Carle Taylor, who is voice coach to the Singing4Fun community singing group run by branch members Cathie Quinn and Heather Robertson.
After lunch there was a short panel session in which several PwP members of the branch spoke of their personal experience of beneficial activities.
Most of the afternoon was devoted to professionally-led taster sessions for people with various degrees of mobility, allowing them to experience a range of physical activities designed to help with movement, muscle strengthening, general fitness, voice health and feelings of well-being, such as movement and dance, Tai Chi, Pilates and Physiotherapy.
You can download the programme by clicking here: Final programme.
Also available for download is a collection of extracts from recent Branch
newsletters, compiled in booklet form by editor Helen Harris, which gives more details of the many and varied activities organised by the Branch.
The event finished with a second panel session chaired by Dr Gordon Duncan, consultant in medicine for the elderly at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh with a specialist clinical and research interest in Parkinson’s. The panel consisted of the professional instructors and enablers from the taster sessions.
