Parkinson's disease is a thief. It can steal your agility, then progress to make any kind of movement challenging. It can affect your ability to speak easily and to swallow. It can impact your ability to smell. To think. To feel joy.
Parkinson's can be isolating and even demoralizing, but research has found that there is a way to slow down this degenerative progression. Exercise.
While experts have known for years that exercise is a useful tool for leading a healthy life with Parkinson's, it has recently become a first-line treatment for those who get this diagnosis. The deepening understanding of the value of exercise in slowing the progression of the disease has also added depth to our understanding of what may cause Parkinson's and how that might lead to a cure.
In this episode of Petrie Dish, Bonnie Petrie explores how boxing has improved the lives of a group of Parkinson's patients who take a specialized class led by personal trainer Steve Payne. She then takes a deep dive with Dr. Leila Saadatpour, an assistant professor of neurology who specializes in movement disorders at UT Health San Antonio, into what we know now about Parkinson's disease, how to best treat it, and where science may take us next.
