Manifestations of Parkinson’s Disease
The symptoms of progressive neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease can be devastating for patients. Patients may struggle with trying to navigate their daily life with the cognitive slowing, balance and gait difficulties, onset of tremor and other changes they experience.
Dr. Tabby works with patients with Parkinson’s disease to help them maintain their independence and activities of daily living as long as possible through support for their balance and gait, posture, and tremors. Her expertise in physical medicine and rehabilitation helps her to optimally support those with neurologic diseases, working in collaboration with neurologists, physical, occupational, speech and cognitive therapists. Although many of the treatments for Parkinson’s Disease are pharmacologic in nature, Dr. Tabby seeks to use her expertise as a physiatrist to provide support through fall prevention, management of tremors, and assistance with other activities of daily living.
Dr. Tabby’s Approach to Care
Dr. Tabby practices the “art of medicine,” forging strong relationships with her patients and their families built on trust and mutual respect, and demonstrating sound scientific judgement through her diagnostic reasoning. She will take a careful medical history and perform a thorough examination to evaluate for tremor, rigidity, shuffling gait, and other common presentations in Parkinson’s patients. Further tests may be ordered, or the results from other physicians requested, to formulate the most appropriate treatment plan.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists like Dr. Tabby have extensive training in a number of disciplines including neurology, rheumatology and the musculoskeletal system which provides them unique knowledge to address neurological issues affecting daily functioning that patients may be facing. The goal of treatment from a physical medicine and rehabilitation perspective is to use physical and occupational therapeutic tailored exercises along with other modalities such as bracing or assistive walking devices to provide patients more functional ability in their daily lives.
Easy booking and appointment availability are benefits of working with Dr. Tabby. She encourages patients to visit her in the office, but for patients with extreme mobility limits, she makes home visits or virtual appointments through HealthTap. Feel free to inquire when speaking with the office staff about all of the available options.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Treatment
Dr. Tabby will provide a personalized treatment plan for each patient based on their symptoms and unique presentation. Dr. Tabby is an advocate of vitamins, nutrition and exercise as part of a healthy self-care routine. Education and anticipatory guidance of the disease process many be included as part of the treatment plan to aid in patients and family members’ understanding of treatment modalities. Often specific exercises will be demonstrated and “prescribed” to improve strength and reduce the likelihood of falls or other adverse events.
She employs a nonnarcotic treatment method rooted in the judicious use of medications, therefore treatments are more likely to center around “hands on” methods such as topical pain relief, trigger point injections, massage, heat or ice application and active participation of the patient to complete recommended therapeutic exercises. Botox injections can be used for contracted muscles. Bracing (orthotics) or assistive walking devices may be employed in combination with any of the above methods to provide more support and balance. It is a multi-disciplinary approach with collaboration between neurologists, orthopedists, physical therapists, speech therapists and other providers in an attempt to provide a well-rounded, versus just a pharmacologic approach to Parkinson’s Disease.