If you are a person with Parkinson’s how can you track down a physical therapist who specializes in Parkinson’s? The National Parkinson’s Foundation has a website which allows you to search for therapists or other health care professionals by zip code: NPF search for therapists. For someone who doesn’t use a computer very often it can be hard to find the information on this site since you have to click on the ‘up/down’ arrow and then select ‘local resources’ before you can begin your search for health professionals by zip code. Perhaps you can call your local American Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA) -Information and Referral Center for some names and locations of physical therapists. You can check this blog but how would you know that this blog even exists? You can ask your local physical therapist if they know of other therapists who specialize in PD. The American Physical Therapy Association has a listing of therapists ‘Find a PT‘ with various expertise and you can search under ‘neurologic’ expertise. It will give you a listing of therapists close to you by zip code. Once the names further present themselves on the listing you can see if they specifically specialize in PD. The ‘Find a PT’ listing is comprehensive but is not specific to therapists with Parkinson’s. Probably the most comprehensive listing of therapists who are knowledgeable in PD is through a website who’s clinicians are certified in a specific treatment technique ‘LSVT BIG‘ for people with PD. What about the therapists who are not certified but specialize in PD?
Currently, names of physical therapists…clinicians who specialize in PD are still difficult to find.
Developing an address database is not the hard part. Aquiring names of therapists who specialize in PD, keeping the listing updated and most important, having a listing which is easily accessible to a person with PD seem to be logistical challenges. Other questions to think about: Should there be a central listing only or should there be supplemental local listings? The keepers of the local listings could help maintain the central listing. What incentive would therapists have to update their contact information so that we can offer accurate up to date referrals?
We need to develop better contacts to improve outcomes.