mind & mobility - outpatient therapy
LSVT Big Therapy at our Boca Therapy Clinic
Explore our LSVT Big program led by our certified LSVT specialists to improve your walking, balance, and daily activities like dressing and writing.
What Is LSVT BIG?
LSVT BIG is an intensive, research-based physical and occupational therapy program designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The method focuses on training individuals to move with bigger, more purposeful, and more efficient movements in daily life.
It was developed following the success of LSVT LOUD®, the speech therapy counterpart that improves vocal loudness. Researchers discovered similar principles could dramatically improve movement quality as well.
What are the principles of LSVT Big?
Maximum Effort!
Patients are pushed to perform movements with their highest level of effort to stimulate the brain and improve motor patterns.
High Amplitude!
The LSVT program focuses on making movements bigger and more exaggerated than they feel, to counteract the reduced movement size often seen in Parkinson’s disease.
Calibration!
LSVT Big involves retraining the patient’s sensory perception so they can recognize what a “big” movement feels like and can self-monitor and adjust their movements to be larger and more normal.
What does a typical LSVT BIG session look like?
Each appointment includes:
• Maximal daily exercises
Seven standardized BIG movements performed with high effort and repetition.
• Hierarchy tasks
Breakdown and practice of functional goals (e.g., getting off the floor, turning quickly, lifting objects).
• Real-world carryover
Your therapist assigns specific tasks to practice at home each day to reinforce BIG movement patterns into automatic behavior.
• Intensity + motivation
The training style is energetic and highly structured.
Why is LSVT Big so effective?
Yes, Medicare generally covers LSVT (LSVT BIG for physical/occupational therapy and LSVT LOUD for speech therapy) as medically necessary rehabilitation, typically under Part B, but you’ll pay coinsurance (around 20%) after meeting your deductible, with costs varying by plan and provider, so always check your specific coverage.
Does Medicare cover LSVT Big therapy?
Yes, Medicare generally covers LSVT (LSVT BIG for physical/occupational therapy and LSVT LOUD for speech therapy) as medically necessary rehabilitation, typically under Part B, but you’ll pay coinsurance (around 20%) after meeting your deductible, with costs varying by plan and provider, so always check your specific coverage.
Is LSVT Hard?
The program emphasizes a high-intensity, intensive, and repetitive training schedule, often four times a week for four weeks, with a focus on performing exaggerated movements for functional, everyday tasks.
How Can I Get Started with LSVT Big?
LSVT BIG and LSVT Loud can be delivered by a physical or occupational therapist at our outpatient clinic. Treatment is administered in 16 sessions over a single month (four individual 60 minute sessions per week). This protocol was developed specifically to address the unique movement impairments for people with Parkinson disease. The protocol is both intensive and complex, with many repetitions of core movements that are used in daily living. This type of practice is necessary to optimize learning and carryover of your better movement into everyday life!
For more information, Contact us today or visit us at our Boca Therapy Clinic at (877)926-4030.
How Can this help Parkinson’s patients?
LSVT BIG is highly effective because it directly targets the core movement challenges caused by Parkinson’s disease through a structured, evidence-based approach that retrains the brain and body. One of the primary reasons it works so well is that it helps individuals recalibrate their internal “movement meter.” People with Parkinson’s often don’t realize how small or slow their movements have become, and LSVT BIG uses large, exaggerated movement patterns to teach the brain what normal amplitude should feel like again. Over time, these bigger movements become automatic and more natural.
The program’s intensive structure—four sessions per week for four weeks, combined with daily practice—drives neuroplasticity, meaning the brain forms new, more efficient motor pathways to overcome the slowness and rigidity associated with PD. Because amplitude is a foundational impairment in Parkinson’s, focusing on bigger movement improves multiple areas at once, including walking speed, stride length, posture, balance, arm swing, turning, and overall mobility.
Unlike general exercise programs, LSVT BIG is also deeply functional and task-specific. Therapists customize training around real-life goals—such as getting out of a chair, reaching overhead, navigating tight spaces, or entering a car—so improvements transfer quickly into daily activities. This combination of amplitude training, intensity, repetition, and functional relevance helps restore the automaticity of movement that Parkinson’s strips away. Additionally, LSVT BIG engages the whole body, improving coordination, trunk rotation, stability, and confidence, which contributes to better balance and reduced fall risk.
Supported by more than two decades of research showing significant gains in gait, balance, and overall motor function, LSVT BIG remains one of the most effective and transformative therapy approaches available for people living with Parkinson’s disease.