March 22, 2016
Dr. Richard T. BosshardtCorrespondent
Q: I recently was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I seem to recall reading somewhere that bicycling is good for Parkinson's Disease. Is it true? Can you tell me more about it?
A: Truth, as they say, is sometimes stranger than fiction. There have been a number of articles published over the past few years about a beneficial effect of cycling and Parkinson's Disease.
Parkinson's is a chronic, progressive, degenerative condition typically seen after age fifty. There is treatment but no cure. Parts of the brain in patients with Parkinson's produces insufficient amounts of dopamine, a chemical that transmits information between brain cells. Dopamine is responsible for pleasurable sensations. Many drugs that are addictive stimulate release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine also transmits information from the brain to our muscles, allowing them to move.
The cause of Parkinson's is not known, but there appears to be a genetic component. It has been linked to exposure to unknown environmental toxins and to repeated brain injury, such as in people who sustain repeated concussions.
Regardless of the cause, the hallmarks of Parkinson's are consistent: People affected have characteristic tremors, muscle stiffness and rigidity, slowed movements and problems with balance. Progression of Parkinson's can lead to near total immobility and late Parkinson's is associated with dementia and death.
In 2003, a researcher in biomedical engineering at the Cleveland Clinic did the weeklong Bicycle Ride Across Iowa on a tandem bicycle with a 48-year-old female friend with Parkinson's. The purpose of the ride was to encourage patients with Parkinson's to believe they could have an active lifestyle, but it proved to do much more. After two days of cycling, the friend noted that her Parkinson's symptoms were much better. She was able to move more smoothly and freely. Her balance improved. Even her handwriting was better.
Intrigued, the researcher noted that his friend was pedaling faster than usual when she rode with him. Forced exercise had been shown in animals to improve certain neurological conditions but had not been tried in people. A study was designed in which volunteers with Parkinson's were put on a stationary bicycle and instructed to pedal at a rate that achieved a predetermined heart rate and power output. The effect was determined by testing their functional ability and dopamine production, and by scanning their brains to see which areas were activated.
Researchers found that forced exercise had beneficial effects that were statistically significant and often lasted well beyond the immediate post-exercise period. The effects on brain activity and production of dopamine were similar to those seen when taking anti-Parkinson's medication to increase dopamine levels in the brain. Subsequent studies have shown that the beneficial effects are not limited to bicycling. Other exercises, such as swimming and rowing, could induce similar improvements. Weight training, however, did not seem to provide a benefit.
This is very exciting because it provides another avenue for research into treatments and, hopefully someday, a cure for Parkinson's. At this time, many questions remain unanswered. How much exercise should one do? What type is best? How often? At what intensity? Why don't all patients with Parkinson's respond?
As with many disorders of movement, the best advice seems to come down to this: Move!
Making a concerted effort to be active on a daily basis seems crucial, not only to maintaining good health, but to managing many medical conditions.
Richard T. Bosshardt is a plastic surgeon in Tavares. If you have a medical question, send it to him at 1879 Nightingale Lane, Suite A-2, Tavares, FL 32778, or send e-mail to rtbosshardt@aol.com. His blog is at HypeOrlando at hypeorlando.com/ house-calls.
Copyright © 2016, Orlando Sentinel
http://health.einnews.com/article/317769769/jwaoi4MCNm8sduOj
Regardless of the cause, the hallmarks of Parkinson's are consistent: People affected have characteristic tremors, muscle stiffness and rigidity, slowed movements and problems with balance. Progression of Parkinson's can lead to near total immobility and late Parkinson's is associated with dementia and death.
In 2003, a researcher in biomedical engineering at the Cleveland Clinic did the weeklong Bicycle Ride Across Iowa on a tandem bicycle with a 48-year-old female friend with Parkinson's. The purpose of the ride was to encourage patients with Parkinson's to believe they could have an active lifestyle, but it proved to do much more. After two days of cycling, the friend noted that her Parkinson's symptoms were much better. She was able to move more smoothly and freely. Her balance improved. Even her handwriting was better.
Intrigued, the researcher noted that his friend was pedaling faster than usual when she rode with him. Forced exercise had been shown in animals to improve certain neurological conditions but had not been tried in people. A study was designed in which volunteers with Parkinson's were put on a stationary bicycle and instructed to pedal at a rate that achieved a predetermined heart rate and power output. The effect was determined by testing their functional ability and dopamine production, and by scanning their brains to see which areas were activated.
Researchers found that forced exercise had beneficial effects that were statistically significant and often lasted well beyond the immediate post-exercise period. The effects on brain activity and production of dopamine were similar to those seen when taking anti-Parkinson's medication to increase dopamine levels in the brain. Subsequent studies have shown that the beneficial effects are not limited to bicycling. Other exercises, such as swimming and rowing, could induce similar improvements. Weight training, however, did not seem to provide a benefit.
This is very exciting because it provides another avenue for research into treatments and, hopefully someday, a cure for Parkinson's. At this time, many questions remain unanswered. How much exercise should one do? What type is best? How often? At what intensity? Why don't all patients with Parkinson's respond?
As with many disorders of movement, the best advice seems to come down to this: Move!
Making a concerted effort to be active on a daily basis seems crucial, not only to maintaining good health, but to managing many medical conditions.
Richard T. Bosshardt is a plastic surgeon in Tavares. If you have a medical question, send it to him at 1879 Nightingale Lane, Suite A-2, Tavares, FL 32778, or send e-mail to rtbosshardt@aol.com. His blog is at HypeOrlando at hypeorlando.com/ house-calls.
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