Helping young-onset Parkinson’s disease
It seems counterintuitive that boxing, yes, boxing, is now a treatment for people who have early onset Parkinson’s disease. PD affects approximately 7 to 10 million people worldwide Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which is caused by the deterioration and loss of brain cells. When the brains cells die, or are severely compromised, the brain chemical dopamine will cease to produce, and the patient’s movements, dexterity, as well as mood and emotional responses will be affected. Eventually, as the muscles become more rigid—tremors, impaired balance will affect the use of one’s legs and arms. In addition, other indicators of PD, include loss of sleep, smell, slurred speech and impaired vision. For years, it has been assumed that boxing is a key contributor to the cause of Parkinson’s disease. The premise being that repeated head traumas as sustained in the sport of boxing, increases the likelihood of becoming a victim to this disease. But as science and research would have it, there is a new therapy for PD patients –boxing! How the PD boxing concept works: The PD boxing therapy is not the way in which you would normally visualize—rather, the patient learns how to throw various types of punches to a heavy boxing bag, while using complex footwork to improve balance, dexterity and agility. This therapy has NO body-to-body contact. The instructor/therapist will be on the receiving end of the punches without response. This helps the patient to strengthen their muscles, improve coordination and reduce the rigidity of the muscles. Stretching, core building exercises, circuit training and jump roping are also critical to this mode of therapy. What’s even more interesting, is that while throwing punches, the patient yells as each punch is thrown, strengthening the use of their vocal chords. This trend started when a former Indiana prosecutor, Scott Newman, was diagnosed at age 40 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. He found a boxing coach to do one-on-one training to increase his strength. There was dramatic improvement in his overall physical health. In 2006, Newman founded Rock Steady Boxing, a program that uses modified professional boxing techniques to help people with Parkinson’s in Indianapolis. Since then, the program has spread to more than 150 gyms around the country.[2] [1] Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. [2] https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-06-15/punching-out-parkinsons-boxing-training-improves-symptoms
