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On Friday April 7th Joseph Imperiale and John M. Kulick posted a message about EMS (Electronic Muscle Stimulation) to the LIST. I'd like to respond to that message. I'm a doctoral student at Florida State University. I've made numerous posts to this list concerning the benefits of strength and balance training for persons with PD. I'm writing my dissertation on the effect of strength and balance training on balance in persons with stage III PD. Strength training is an unusual type of therapy for PD, especially if the person has rigidity. There is a reason for this. Physical therapists have long believed that strength/resistance training would increase the tonus of the muscle. The problem in rigidity is increased tonus and strength training increases tonus, making the rigidity worse.The PT thinking is slowly changing...What was once thought to be a disease which concentrated exclusively on the CNS, is now thought to also affect the peripheral areas. I believe, as you do, that persons with PD can benefit from strength training, especially persons who are prone to fall and have not developed too much rigidity. I've been working with an exercise group for 2 years now and the results are quite remarkable. The thinking on therapy for PT is slowly changing. Too slow as far as I'm concerned. Mark Hirsch ([log in to unmask])--