Neuro Navigators Episode 18: Exercise as Medicine: How Do We Apply PD-Specific Functional Training?

This episode explores how physical and occupational therapists can integrate Parkinson’s disease–specific functional training into everyday clinical practice. Host J.J. Mowder-Tinney is joined by Dr. Becky Farley, neuroscientist, physical therapist, and founder of Parkinson Wellness Recovery (PWR!), to discuss the science and art of applying exercise as medicine for people living with Parkinson’s disease. Together, they break down the core motor control building blocks—such as antigravity extension, weight shifting, axial mobility, and transitions—and demonstrate how these fundamentals can be retrained and progressed to improve real-world function. Listeners will learn practical strategies to make exercise goal-directed, challenging, and fun, while also addressing cognitive and emotional barriers that often limit mobility. Through case examples and clinical pearls, this conversation highlights how to design interventions that feel more like sport than therapy, empowering patients to move with greater ease and confidence. Ideal for PTs and OTs working in rehabilitation or community-based settings, this episode offers actionable insights you can bring directly to your practiceLearning ObjectivesAnalyze the fundamental motor control building blocks that support functional mobility training as a foundational intervention for people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD)Apply evidence-informed strategies to target key motor control fundamentals when designing PD-specific functional mobility trainingSolve patient case scenarios to develop individualized plans of care that integrate PD-specific functional mobility training across rehabilitation and community settingsTimestamps(00:00:00) Welcome(00:01:09) Introduction to guest(00:04:20) The importance of functional mobility training(00:06:38) Understanding Parkinson’s symptoms and their impact(00:10:25) Core fundamentals of movement in therapy(00:14:50) Recapping fundamental building blocks of movement(00:25:20) Common impairments in Parkinson’s beyond rigidity and bradykinesia(00:28:55) Research insights on essential ingredients for rehabilitation(00:32:40) Defining FUN-ctional exercise(00:36:04) Practical examples of motor-cognitive challenges(00:41:43) Translating research into day-to-day clinical practice(00:43:07) Creative case example: turning and freezing of gait(00:49:22) Engaging care partners for home and community carryover(00:51:14) Three actionable clinical takeaways(00:54:30) Superpower question and closing thoughtsNeuro Navigators is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away.To hear more episodes of Neuro Naviagators, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.medbridge.com/neuro-navigators⁠⁠⁠⁠If you’d like to subscribe to Medbridge, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.medbridge.com/pricing/⁠⁠⁠⁠IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/medbridgeteam/