A doctor is studying whether regular exercise can slow the spread of Parkinson's disease in people after he observed a severely afflicted man who could not walk, but had the ability to ride a bicycle.
Dr. Bastiaan R. Bloem told the New York Times (“Cycling provides a break for some with Parkinson's“) about a 58-year-old man he met who was suffering from an advanced case of the neurological disorder. He could not walk without falling down, but could ride a bicycle for as far as 6 miles as long as someone helped him on and off.
That brings to mind the story that appeared last year (“A tandem bike ride leads to a treatment for Parkinson's“) that riding the back of a tandem bicycle at a relatively high cadence of 80 to 90 rpms temporarily relieved the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in patients. (See the video above)
The two observations are somewhat different, but they do point to a special relationship between bicycling and Parkinson's disease.
Can't walk, but can ride
In the first case, people who cannot walk were able to ride a bicycle, although doctors don't know why. While the New York Times points out that bicycling doesn't cure the patients, Dr. Bloem said that
“…bicycling offers patients an opportunity to be symptom-free while they are riding, to look and feel normal, and to get some real cardiovascular exercise even when their disease is so far advanced that they cannot walk.”
Because of the difficulty getting on and off the bikes and stopping and starting, the use trikes or stationary bikes might be good options.
Tandem bicycles
In the case of tandem bicycles, research has shown that the “forced exercise” of pedaling faster than what's comfortable actually helped reverse some of the symptoms. Early studies found that the “forced exercise” was as effective in reducing symptoms as medications, without the drugs' side effects.
Researchers are studying whether the use of power-assisted stationary bicycles set to a high cadence have the same result. Early findings show improvements to the motor functions in the arms, legs and hands.
More information
Former pro cyclist Davis Phinney suffers from the disease. Check out Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's disease for information about fund-raising and education about the disease. There also are resources about clinical trials, as well as results of a “forced exercise” tandem bicycling project.
One thing emphasized at the Phinney Foundation is that exercise not only makes patients feel better, but helps to reduce the stress that makes the symptoms worse.
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