Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder in which neurons and dopamine-producing cells in your brain begin to die. Symptoms progress over time and include tremors, slow movements, rigid limbs, shuffling gait, stooped posture and an inability to move. Patients may also experience a reduced ability to make facial expressions.
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While patients suffer significant physical disability, the condition may also trigger depression, speech impediments and personality changes. There is also an association with dementia. Parkinson’s affects as many as 7 million to 10 million adults worldwide, and approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease every year.
While there is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease, certain nutrients and activities have been shown to help improve symptoms. According to researchers from Fukuoka University in Japan, one such activity is ping-pong.
The researchers studied the effects of table tennis, or ping-pong, on 12 Parkinson’s patients, with an average age of 73, who were suffering mild to moderate disease symptoms. On average, the participants had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s seven years prior to the study.
Study author Dr. Ken-ichi Inoue explained, “Ping-pong, which is also called table tennis, is a form of aerobic exercise that has been shown in the general population to improve hand-eye coordination, sharpen reflexes, and stimulate the brain. We wanted to examine if people with Parkinson’s disease would see similar benefits that may in turn reduce some of their symptoms.”
Each participant underwent testing to gauge the severity of their symptoms, then, they participated in five-hour ping-pong training sessions each week, after performing a series of stretches. The participants were re-evaluated three months after the start of the study, and again at six months. The researchers noted significant improvements at both three and six months. The participants showed improvements in speech, walking, handwriting, getting out of bed and putting on clothes. Hand tremor symptoms, facial expressions, posture and movement pace were also improved.
“While this study is small, the results are encouraging because they show ping-pong, a relatively inexpensive form of therapy, may improve some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” Inoue concluded. “A much larger study is now being planned to confirm these findings.”