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NK tonight after doing 80 minutes on cycler today, I got on treadmill and the 5 minutes I did was a lot easier than it has been before. In fact I could barely do 5 minutes. I'm going to work on this combination and see if I can get the treadmill time up to a respectable time. my balance isn't any better but I'm not in so much pain. I'll push myself. Ray Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] -------------------------------------------------- From: "chew nee kong" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 9:43 PM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Pedalling vs. PD > Dear Ray > > Wow! What an interesting study. > > I have a good friend who has suffered from Parkinson's for ten years. He > is Mr Teo Kim Hoe, who is the one and only Parkinson's in Malaysia who > regularly practices "forced" exercise as reported in this study. He is a > very strong believer in exercise as a way to control the progression of > Parkinson's. You can view the video recording of Mr Teo doing cycling > (spinning) and kickboxing in his blog (www.heroteo.com) or Malaysian > Parkinson's website (www.lloydtan-trust.com). > > Actually, many Parkinson's patients do carry out exercises, but these are > usually light (e.g. morning walk, Tai Chi, waidangong, etc). But Mr Teo is > diferent from other Parkinson's patients because he really forces himself > to the maximum. I have seen him doing the kickboxing exercise, which I > think is a "heavyweight" exercise. No other Parkinson's patients in > Malaysia does the kickboxing exercise. > > In fact, the reason I decided to do video recording of Mr Teo doing all > these "forced" exercises is to give motivation to the Parkinson's > patients - that they can still be physically active despite having the > illness. > > Dr Chew > > > >> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:56:45 -0700 >> From: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: Fw: Pedalling vs. PD >> To: [log in to unmask] >> >> Rayilyn Brown >> Director AZNPF >> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation >> [log in to unmask] >> >> -------------------------------------------------- >> From: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> >> Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 5:49 PM >> To: "parkinsn" <[log in to unmask]> >> Subject: Pedalling vs. PD >> >> > Pedalling Report after 3 weeks: >> > >> > It took about 9 days to reach an hour and more for 2 weeks (75 min >> > currently) on my ACTIVcycler. I "think" I am a trifle better, but it >> > is >> > not enough improvement to be definitive. I am not early stage PD. I >> > did >> > lots of exercise then. I don't know if my motorized cycler does >> > 80-90 >> > rpm or 60 rpm or not (it cost $170). Theracycle's cycler costs around >> > $4,000 and the rep here has promised to do a demo for me when he is in >> > my >> > area. >> > >> > I'm going for the 8 weeks daily and still hoping. Forced exercise is >> > the >> > way to go I think, as we need some help. >> > >> > Ray >> > >> > Pedalling hard to head off symptoms of Parkinson's >> > >> > By Evra Taylor Levy and Eddy Lang, The Gazette >> > >> > Rapid rhythm exercise shows benefits for people in early stages of the >> > disease. >> > >> > MONTREAL -- In medicine, most solutions to physical illness come from >> > outside treatments like pills and surgery; but what if the body had the >> > ability to heal itself through a specific physical activity and >> > training >> > program? This week's HealthWatch looks at just this possibility for >> > treating what can be the devastating neurological condition known as >> > Parkinson's disease. >> > >> > Explain to me what Parkinson's disease is. >> > >> > Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative brain disorder. It's caused >> > by >> > a lack of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in a critical area of the brain. >> > This deficiency results in problems with the ability to move parts of >> > the >> > body effectively and also affects speech; in advanced cases, dementia >> > and >> > depression often set in. >> > >> > Who is most likely to develop Parkinson's? >> > >> > Health Canada estimates that one in every 100 Canadians over the age of >> > 60 >> > will be diagnosed with PD. As a result of our aging population, there >> > are >> > 5,000 new cases each year. In 2003, it was estimated that the number of >> > new cases would triple by 2020. So, the older one gets, the more likely >> > that one will be diagnosed with PD. It typically occurs in people over >> > age >> > 60, with men accounting for 50 per cent more cases than women. >> > >> > What are the symptoms of the disease? >> > >> > Most of us are familiar with PD's most common trait, namely tremor or a >> > constant shakiness, usually seen in the hands. Other symptoms of the >> > disease include shuffling of the feet, slow movement, limb stiffness, >> > muscle fatigue, impaired balance and coordination of fine movements. >> > How does the disease progress? >> > >> > The onset of PD may be subtle and confused with normal aging, which can >> > delay diagnosis. In fact, patients may be relatively problem-free for >> > the >> > first few years. PD worsens with age, but the rate and type of >> > progression >> > varies from person to person. >> > >> > Typically, in the early stage of the disease, the symptoms progress >> > from >> > one side of the body to both. This is followed by balance impairment, >> > but >> > at this point people are still able to live independently. As the >> > disease >> > progresses, folks become wheelchair bound or bedridden, often leading >> > to >> > institutionalization. >> > >> > How is Parkinson's disease treated and do the medications work? >> > >> > In the beginning stages of the disease, treatment may not be needed at >> > all. There is no cure at this time, so as the disease progresses and >> > requires drug therapy, the goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms by >> > replacing the missing dopamine. Levodopa, a chemical found in both >> > plants >> > and animals, which is converted into dopamine, has been shown to be >> > effective and is often the first medication given. However, its >> > effectiveness lessens over time and as a result other drugs, such as >> > selegiline (sold as Eldepryl), which prevent the breakdown of dopamine >> > in >> > the brain by enzymes, are being incorporated into treatment. Current >> > research in PD focuses on medications that may actually slow its >> > progression. >> > >> > The study >> > Ridgel AL, Vitek JL, Alberts JL. Forced, not voluntary, exercise >> > improves >> > motor function in Parkinson's disease patients. Journal of >> > Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair July/Aug 2009;23(6): >> > 600-608. >> > >> > What do we know about PD and exercise? >> > >> > Although exercise improves fitness in PD patients, the studies that >> > have >> > looked at its effects on the disease itself have not shown much >> > benefit. >> > However, these studies looked at voluntary exercise or exercise >> > performed >> > at a rhythm that was most comfortable for the subject. The individual >> > experiences of PD patients engaged in physical activity, like cycling >> > at a >> > fast pace, a method known as forced exercise, found that their >> > Parkinson's >> > symptoms lessened dramatically, and for an extended period of time. >> > Laboratory studies in rat models that mimic PD also showed benefits >> > when >> > placed in motorized spinning wheels. >> > >> > What's different about this research? >> > >> > In this study, the five subjects who were randomly assigned to the >> > forced >> > exercise group were teamed up with trainers who worked with them on >> > stationary bikes built for two. On these tandem bicycles, the subjects >> > underwent three 40-minute training sessions per week, during which they >> > were gradually pushed to be able to sustain pedaling rates of 80 to 90 >> > revolutions per minute as opposed to the 60-per-minute rate that they >> > would typically roll at if left to their own devices. The five >> > comparison >> > subjects in the study did stationary biking for the same amount of time >> > each week, but without a trainer to make them spin faster. >> > >> > Why would forced exercise offer any benefits? >> > >> > The thinking here is that challenging the body to move faster than it >> > is >> > used to somehow activates the key part of the brain that controls body >> > movements. This revving up of those key areas may occur through >> > increased >> > levels of dopamine and compounds that stimulate nerve growth or in >> > activating rusty circuits. >> > >> > What were the findings? >> > >> > Quite remarkable, actually. After an eight-week training session, the >> > fast >> > spinners demonstrated a 35-per-cent improvement in the muscle >> > coordination >> > and dexterity that is impaired with PD. Furthermore, these improvements >> > lasted for four weeks after the training period on the bicycles had >> > ended. >> > The voluntary cycling group showed an equivalent degree of improved >> > general fitness, but no change in PD symptoms like tremor, stiffness >> > and >> > slow movements. >> > >> > What does this mean for people suffering from Parkinson's disease? >> > >> > While a promising scientific development, tandem training cycles are >> > hard >> > to come by and many patients with PD are too advanced in their >> > condition >> > to even consider this treatment option. On the other hand, spinning >> > classes are all the rage in gyms and fitness centres and it may be >> > worthwhile giving this approach a shot as long as a physician clears >> > the >> > patient for participation. Even if solely for the fitness benefits, >> > getting active can only help PD patients while we wait for more >> > research >> > to confirm these intriguing findings. >> > >> > The material provided in HealthWatch is designed for general >> > educational >> > purposes only and does not pertain to individual cases. It should not >> > replace necessary medical consultations with your own doctor or medical >> > professional. >> > >> > Rayilyn Brown >> > Director AZNPF >> > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation >> > [log in to unmask] >> > >> > >> > >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >> mailto:[log in to unmask] >> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > _________________________________________________________________ > Share your memories online with anyone you want. > http://www.microsoft.com/malaysia/windows/windowslive/products/photos-share.aspx?tab=1 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn