Parkinson's patients are meeting two Mondays a month at the Boys and Girls Club of Bend in Oregon to compete against the neurodegenerative disease by playing table tennis, according to an article in The Bulletin.
Approximately 1 million Americans are affected by Parkinson's. It is a widely held belief amongst patients and their supporters that physical exercise can push back against the degenerative neurological effects of the disease. The actual medical efficacy of exercise as a treatment for slowing Parkinson's progression is yet to be proven. But, according to The Bulletin, Parkinson's patients are often ahead of the medicinal curve when it comes to the discovery of new ways to stimulate and restore body and mind.
"People are working very hard at keeping themselves as capable as they can for as long as they can...it seems to work," said Margie Lussier, Parkinson's patient and founder of the twice-monthly pingpong night.
While there are more studies to be done on the relationship between exercise and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's, some physicians are steadfast in its prescription.
Bend Memorial Clinic neurologist Steve Goins, MD, tells his patients to get 2.5 hours of exercise per week. "We know that it improves balance, decreases falls and wards off depression," Dr. Goins said in The Bulletin.
Ms. Lussier began pingpong night a year ago by reaching out to the table tennis club president Don Borne, who enthusiastically began setting aside two tables every other Monday for the Parkinson's group. Patient's families are also welcome to participate, inciting rounds of doubles play. The activities available to this patient group have expanded to incorporate Pilates, dance and Tai chi. Soon a communication class with a speech-language pathologist will be offered.
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