As Parkinson’s disease progresses, patients often experience greater gait disturbances and falls, which can be debilitating and even deadly. The limited data on traditional land-based physical therapy regimens are promising, but benefits may diminish as the disease progresses. Aquatic–based physical therapy offers decreased joint force, increased buoyancy, reduced muscle tightness and other benefits which may be uniquely helpful to the advancing Parkinson’s patient.  Dr. Houghton and his team will be seeking to determine whether the use of physical therapy in Parkinson’s patients with gait and balance problems is useful, and whether it is worth expanding the realm of treatment to aquatic-based therapy. The award will be dispersed over two years, beginning on July 1, 2010.

Dr. Houghton received his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia and his master’s of public health degree in epidemiology at Emory University. He completed internship and residency training in neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and completed a fellowship at the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Pennsylvania Hospital.  He joined the faculty at the University of Louisville in July of 2007.  He currently serves as Clinical Director of the Movement Disorder Surgical Program and Adult Neurology Residency Program Director.