She is animated now, in full lecture mode. Patients, she says, should have access to therapists and trainers as soon as they’re diagnosed with Parkinson’s, not just after a fall or injury or when symptoms become debilitating. Insurance companies should pay for it, she says. Studies show that exercise is good for patients — for Parkinson’s symptoms, yes, and maybe for the progress of the disease itself, but also to help stave off problems and comorbidities that come when people stop moving much, like heart disease and diabetes.
