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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