Bob Travis opens his mouth and says “aaaaaaaaah.” His voice sounds normal to him, the same one he used in professional life. But his voice as heard on a video recording is soft, slightly more than audible.

Bob has Parkinson’s disease, and, like about 90 percent of those struggling with the condition, he has trouble being heard. Literally.

So he has come to the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science at the University of Colorado for speech therapy. In jest, he said he’d come because his wife needed a hearing aid. In truth, though, he had noticed his vocal power fading.

June 18, 2010 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) — In a comparative study, 4 weeks of supervised physiotherapy consisting of repetitive high-amplitude movements yielded greater improvements in motor performance in patients with Parkinson's disease than either Nordic walking or nonsupervised in-home exercises.

DEENA CENTOFANTI

UNDATED - They look like simple movements, but it's therapy making a dramatic difference in the life of a local grandfather.

He throws a decent pitch, and that's a big deal for Lewis Ruddock, who first started showing signs of trouble 20 years ago.

"He was having trouble using his razor, and I had noticed his penmanship getting very tiny," said Darlene Ruddock, Lewis' wife.

A neurologist immediately diagnosed Parkinson's, the progressive disease caused by a shortage of a brain chemical. It causes tremors or muscle stiffness.

Before doing therapy, Lewis's life was much different. He struggled to walk, taking tiny steps and falling down. However, what's called LSVT BIG treatment has changed him.