Parkinson’s Disease and Speech Therapy

Feb 10, 2026

MD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on September 18, 2024

Dysarthria (difficulty speaking) and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) can be severely limiting symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Both can be helped by seeing a speech pathologist or speech therapist.

In particular, the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy Program has demonstrated significant value for people with Parkinson's. Ask your doctor about a referral to a speech pathologist experienced in administering the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy program.

How Can I Improve My Speech With Parkinson's Disease?

Speech-language pathologists can help people with Parkinson's disease maintain as many communication skills as possible. They also teach techniques that conserve energy, including non-verbal communication skills. Speech-language pathologists are also available to:

  • Recommend appropriate communication technologies that will help with daily activities.
  • Treat all types of speech, language, and communication problems.
  • Evaluate swallowing function and recommend changes as necessary.

Read more here: Parkinson's Disease and Speech Therapy

Exercise and mobility tips for staying independent

Feb 6, 2026

Last updated Sept. 19, 2025, by Elena Schmidt

Fact-checked by Patricia Silva, PhD

Staying active with Parkinson’s disease may feel challenging, especially as symptoms change over time. But regular, gentle movement, like walking, stretching, or dancing, can support your independence, mobility, and confidence.

You don’t always need high-intensity workouts to see benefits. Consistency and choosing exercises that feel manageable and safe for you are key factors that contribute to a positive outcome.

With the right approach, Parkinson’s exercises can support your routine in a way that helps you move more comfortably and confidently.

How exercise helps people with Parkinson’s

While it won’t reverse the disease, the benefits of exercise for people with Parkinson’s include slowing the progression of motor impairment and improving overall wellness.

In fact, the Parkinson’s Outcomes Project from the Parkinson’s Foundation, which tracked more than 13,000 people, found that just moving regularly may help you:

  • stay more independent in daily routines
  • feel steadier and more confident on your feet
  • experience fewer slowdowns in walking or getting up
  • maintain a more positive outlook as the disease progresses
  • reduce physical discomfort that interferes with movement
  • hold on to sharper thinking and communication skills over time

Data from the project also show that increasing physical activity to at least 2.5 hours a week can slow the decline in quality of life, especially when starting exercise earlier in the disease course.

Read more here: Exercise and mobility tips for staying independent

Finding solutions for REM sleep behavior disorder with Parkinson’s

Feb 3, 2026

We had to make changes for our safety and sanity

Written by Marjorie Weiss | January 30, 2026

It was 2:30 a.m., and I was peacefully asleep when I was jolted awake by an arm suddenly flinging over from the other side of the bed, landing squarely on my face. Instantly, shrieks erupted — first from me, then from my husband, Dave, and finally from both of us together. “Stop it, Dave!” I shouted. “You’re having a dream!”

Dave snapped back to reality, immediately apologized, and asked if I was injured. This is his usual response after one of his night terrors, especially when it involves the rare but unforgettable physical outbursts directed at me.

Dave has lived with Parkinson’s disease for 25 years, since he was 49. About a decade after his diagnosis, he began experiencing a new symptom: vivid, active dreaming. He often talks in his sleep, rarely making much sense when I’m awake to overhear him. Most of the time, it’s benign, sometimes even cheerful, and I simply roll over and drift back to sleep. Occasionally, though, he acts out, defending himself against imagined dangers in his dreams. I should stress that these nighttime thrashings and outbursts are not routine. Instead of his usual lighthearted sleep talk, he’ll sometimes cry out in genuine fear. He rarely remembers much about these dreams, so I typically don’t press for details.

Read more here: Finding solutions for REM sleep behavior disorder with Parkinson's

There are no rules when it comes to Parkinson’s disease

Jan 23, 2026

It's frustrating when symptoms don't follow any discernible pattern

Written by Mollie Lombardi | January 6, 2025

I’ve always been pretty organized and logical. I like knowing the rules and the “why” behind things. My brain looks for patterns I can rely on to predict or explain everything. Growing up in a family where my dad taught seventh and eighth grade science, I was always encouraged to look for these kinds of rules.

The physical world has laws that guide it — specific rules for how things act. These laws are always in place and always play out in the same way. For example, one of the rules of physics that guide our universe is Newton’s third law of motion, stating that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I like this law. It makes sense; you can see it play out in the world. And it’s true for everyone and every object.

However, medicine and disease don’t have many logical, provable laws, and Parkinson’s disease doesn’t follow any rules.

I have idiopathic Parkinson’s, the most common form of the disease. Idiopathic is just a fancy word for “we don’t know why.” There are no rules or formulas for who gets Parkinson’s or why. Fortunately, we have discovered the mechanism of the disease — the body stops making enough dopamine — but we have no rules to tell us why it shows up when and where it does or why it shows up in such different ways. We have ideas, and doctors and scientists are looking for answers, but we just don’t know yet.

Read more here: There are no rules when it comes to Parkinson's disease

Low muscle mass is more common in early-stage Parkinson’s disease

Jan 19, 2026

Study finds higher odds of low muscle mass, especially in older men

Written by Margarida Maia, PhD | January 16, 2026

  • Low muscle mass is common in Parkinson’s disease, especially in older men.
  • It was linked to a slightly larger blood pressure drop shortly after standing.
  • However, it wasn’t linked to more orthostatic symptoms like dizziness or lightheadedness.

Low muscle mass is more common in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease than in those without the condition, especially in older men, a study found. While it was linked to a slightly larger blood pressure drop shortly after standing, it was not linked to more orthostatic symptoms, such as dizziness or lightheadedness.

The findings come from the study, “Prevalence of low muscle mass and its association with orthostatic hypotension and related symptoms in Parkinson’s disease,” published in npj Parkinson’s Disease by researchers in South Korea.

Loss of muscle mass has been linked to problems with movement, balance, and blood pressure — issues that are common symptoms of Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease caused by the loss of certain nerve cells in the brain. While muscle loss appears to be frequent in Parkinson’s, researchers are still working to understand how it relates to symptoms and day-to-day function.

Read more here: Low muscle mass is more common in early-stage Parkinson's disease