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Can Boxing Cause Parkinson’s Disease

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Patients use boxing to fight Parkinson’s disease

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Is Walking Good For Parkinsons Disease

Research published in Neurology suggests that regular, moderate exercise, such as walking briskly, can help to improve the symptoms of Parkinsons disease , the chronic motor system disorder. Parkinsons disease affects around 1 million people in the US, and 4-6 million people worldwide.

The Study Examined Ali’s Speech Patterns Particularly Those After Big Fights

Muhammad Ali battled Parkinson’s disease his entire post-boxing life. A new study, however, shows that Ali’s bout with Parkinson’s started well before he was diagnosed with it. Jonathan Eig, who wrote Ali’s biography “Ali: A Life” , conducted a study on Ali’s speech patterns to determine when his Parkinson’s may have first manifested. A copy of Eig’s study, which will be presented at Stockholm’s Interspeech 2017, was picked up by ESPN’s Outside the Lines.

The study found that Ali’s speech slowed by 16 percent after a 15-round bout with Ernie Shavers in 1977. Shavers, a brawler, landed 266 punches throughout the fight. Ali’s speech normalized over time, but Eig’s study, conducted by Arizona State speech scientists Visar Berisha and Julie Liss through CompuBox, Inc., found a downward trend in Ali’s speech in the waning years of his career. His speech slowed by 26 percent between the ages of 26 and 39.

The study also found that Ali was slurring his speech in 1978. Ali retired in 1981 and was diagnosed in 1984. Their study sought out to show that speech patterns can be used to trace early signs of Parkinson’s. Those involved in the study would like to start using speech patterns to track those at risk of head trauma.

“It’s very practical and would be another important step allowing a year-by-year look at brain function,” Eig told ESPN.;

Eig added on about the dangers of fighting into later years.

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The Link Between Parkinsons And Boxing: Fighting Off Symptoms

For people with Parkinson’s disease a regimen of jab, cross, and hook may help stave off symptoms. Boxing classes specifically for boxers with Parkinson’s are gaining momentum across the country. But what happens when Parkinson’s and boxing face off in the ring?

What is Parkinson’s?

Parkinson’s is a degenerative neurological disorder. It causes your brain to produce less dopamine which makes it harder for your body to coordinate movements and manage emotions according to the National Parkinson’s Foundation. Approximately 60,000 people a year are diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The disease is characterized by tremors, a shuffling walk, loss of balance, slowed movements, a softened voice, and cognitive changes along with many other symptoms.

There’s no cure for Parkinson’s and treatments are tailored to manage individual symptoms. However, vigorous exercise may have a protective effect on the brain and help slow the disease’s progression, according to research in the journal Neurology.

How are Parkinson’s and boxing related?

Research is limited, but boxers and their caregivers have noticed major improvements in their symptoms. The classes also offer a chance for caregivers to connect and feel supported.

What’s the class like?

All classes are non-contact. An instructor wears pads and focus mitts for any sparring exercises, but boxers don’t spar with each other.

Michael Richard Clifford: Parkinson’s In Space

Using Boxing to Put a Pause on Parkinsons

Michael Richard “Rich” Clifford began his career as a NASA astronaut in 1990. He’s since made three space flights, accumulating 665 hours orbiting Earth. Though diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1994, he continued to fly. Clifford was 42 and in apparent good health when he discovered his Parkinson’s disease, signaled at first by difficulty moving his right arm and hand correctly. In 2012, the American Academy of Neurology gave him the Public Leadership in Neurology Award for increasing awareness of Parkinson’s disease and for encouraging people living with Parkinson’s to continue to pursue their dreams.

Everyone with PD handles it differently, said Clifford in an interview with the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Dont let it get in the way of living. Life is too good. Remember, keep going the skys the limit.

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Ben Petrick: The Major League With Parkinson’s

Ben Petrick dreamed of a stellar baseball career as a catcher with the Colorado Rockies. He played in 240 Major League games, the majority of which came after Parkinson’s disease struck him at age 22 in 2000. He retired from baseball in 2004.

He’s since authored Forty Thousand to One, a book whose title in part references the 40,000 Americans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year. The book also recounts his experiences in Major League Baseball while coping with Parkinson’s disease. According to an ESPN interview, Petrick’s father was also diagnosed with the condition but maintains a positive attitude, saying that although he has Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s doesn’t have him.

Linda Ronstadt Ozzy Osbourne And Muhammad Ali Are Just Some Of The Well

Parkinsons disease is a neurodegenerative condition caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, which leads to various neurological and mobility-related symptoms. The Parkinsons Foundation estimates the number of people living with Parkinsons at 1 million in the United States alone, with over 10 million cases worldwide.

In January 2020, Ozzy Osbourne became the latest public figure to announce a Parkinsons diagnosis, helping to raise the profile of this little-understood neurological condition. Read on to learn more about how other celebrities living with Parkinsons disease have managed their condition and the work theyve done to raise awareness.

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When To Get Medical Advice

It’s a good idea to see your GP if you’re worried about your memory.

If you’re worried about someone else, you should encourage them to make an appointment and perhaps suggest that you go along with them.

Memory problems are not just caused by dementia. They can also be caused by:

  • medications
  • other health problems

Your GP can carry out some simple checks to try to find out what the cause may be, and they can refer you to a specialist memory clinic for more tests, if necessary.

Read about when to get medical advice for symptoms of concussion and symptoms of a minor head injury.

Rock Steady Boxing In The Medical Literature

Can Boxing Knock out Parkinsons Symptoms?

Although there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that promotes Rock Steady Boxing, there have only been two small trials that sought to examine the clinical benefits of Rock Steady Boxing. In one study, 31 people with PD were assigned to either a boxing exercise training or traditional exercise for 24-36 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes over 12 weeks. Participants were tested before and after completion of training on measures of balance, balance confidence, mobility, gait velocity, gait endurance, and quality of life. Although the researchers state that their original hypothesis was that boxing would lead to greater improvements than traditional exercise, the study did not bear that out. Both groups demonstrated gains on multiple measures. No outcome measure demonstrated a significant difference between groups except for balance confidence which favored the traditional exercise group. Despite the fact that boxing was not shown to be better than traditional exercise, it did improve important measures of fitness.

In a second trial, six people with PD attended 24-36 boxing training sessions, each lasting 90 minutes over 12 weeks. Outcome measures of balance, mobility and quality of life were assessed at 12, 24, and 36 weeks. Each of the participants showed improvement on at least five of the 12 outcome measures at 12 weeks, which was sustained at 24 and 36 weeks.

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Michael J Fox: Parkinson’s Champion For A Cure

Michael J. Fox is among the most well-known people living with Parkinson’s disease. Many remember him as the fresh-faced young star of the 1980s TV comedy hit Family Ties and the popular Back to the Future movies. Though most people with Parkinson’s are diagnosed between ages 40 and 60, Fox was diagnosed at age 30 but his diagnosis didnt slow him down.

He shared his young-onset Parkinson’s disease diagnosis with the world in 1998 and, two years later, founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Fox is committed to helping the foundation build Parkinson’s disease awareness and raise funds for research into prevention, treatment, and a cure. In addition to his advocacy work, hes still a working actor; some more recent roles have included characters with Parkinson’s in the TV shows The Good Wife and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

“As long as I play a guy with Parkinson’s, I can do anything,” he joked in a 2013 AARP interview.

Boxing Can Injure You

Boxing is a unique sport. The main goal here is to injure your opponent. Unfortunately, the injury can lead to brain damage, especially if the match results in a knockout.

Because boxing can often lead to brain damage, the;American Academy of Neurology called for the abolition of boxing;as a sport. The organization called it obscenity.

Unfortunately, boxing is a lucrative job. Many boxers, like Muhammad Ali, Mayweather, and Pacquiao, earned millions of dollars every game.

Even the greatest boxers are not immune to head injuries.

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Head Injury And Parkinsons

Its challenging to know whats causing the Parkinsons of a person. However, some data showed that head injury could be increasing the risk for developing this disease.

In;this study, researchers found that those who sustained one head injury were likely to have a diagnosis of Parkinsons. The likelihood is increased in people with more than one head injury.

But the study didnt verify whether or not boxing could directly cause Parkinsons disease. However, the study did confirm that head injury could increase the risk of being diagnosed with this disease later on in life.

Parkinsons disease could be the result of repetitive head trauma. And most boxers sustained head trauma after every fight.

Head injury is just one of the factors that can lead to Parkinsons disease. Many other factors can play a part.

Traumatic head injury has a threshold. When it is crossed, it can trigger an early onset of neurodegeneration.

Even though science cant still figure out the precise causes of Parkinsons, many neurologists believe that boxing isnt good for the brain.

Its especially true if you sustained multiple concussions.

Q: Are All Rock Steady Boxing Courses The Same Do You Have Advice For People Looking For Classes On How To Find A Good One

Boxing Club focuses on fighting Parkinson

Dr. Leder: All programs are not the same. The instructors and the class format can vary quite a bit. Most often, people will; simply go to the one that is closest to where they live, but they might want to; trial a class before they sign up to make sure they like the instructor and it feels safe for them.

Dr. Ellis: In my experience, there is a lot of variability in the quality of the classes. In order to become an instructor in the program training is required, which is great, but the variability in instructors still remains. Some instructors come from the world of boxing and fitness; others, from the medical world.

It is important for anyone who teaches these classes to have some expertise in PD. Understanding elements of PD such as freezing of gait, postural control deficits, fall risk and on/off periods, that are unique to PD can make the class safe and more effective for people with PD. Invariably, a program overseen by movement disorders specialist like Dr. Leder will be enhanced by her PD expertise.

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Effect Of A Boxing Program On People With Parkinson Disease

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government.Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
First Posted : March 4, 2021Last Update Posted : March 4, 2021
Condition or disease
Not Applicable

If pandemic concerns prevent the recruitment of new participants for a control group, an alternative approach will involve a cross-over design in which the original participants from the intervention group will serve as the control group. The boxing club will be approached to contact the twelve participants who provided intervention data. The boxing club has not been held since March, 2020 due to the pandemic restrictions. A control period for this group will be established over a twelve week period where they do not participate in any new changes to their physical activity. The same outcome measures will be collected at pre-test and twelve weeks later for post-testing.

Freddie Roach: Boxing Trainer With Parkinson’s

Frederick “Freddie” Roach is a boxing trainer and former professional boxer. Bryant Gumbel included his story in the HBO series Real Sports, detailing Roach’s efforts to control his Parkinson’s disease with medication and continued work as a trainer. Roach, who began to show Parkinsons symptoms over 20 years ago, trains world-famous boxers at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, which he owns. His client list has included the likes of Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao, Mark Wahlberg, and Georges St. Pierre.

But having Parkinson’s hasn’t dimmed his commitment to boxing, even as it’s caused his speech to slur and his left arm to shake. “I’m in the gym every day; it’s part of life. Instead of taking a vacation, I like what I do. My vacations are right here,” Roach said in a 2015 CBS interview.

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Q: How Did You First Become Involved In Rock Steady Boxing

Dr. Leder: I am a movement disorder specialist and I primarily see patients. During my fellowship I became aware of the positive effects that exercise has on the PD population. During many years in private practice, it became apparent that insurance, including Medicare, does not cover enough physical therapy to actually help a PD patient throughout the year. For years I was trying to determine how to deliver an exercise program to the PD population that would be affordable and accessible to all. I first learned about Rock Steady Boxing from a 60 Minutes segment with Leslie Stahl and I knew right away that it was the program I needed to start in my community.

I became certified as a Rock Steady Boxing expert by taking a three-day course at the Rock Steady Boxing boot camp. When we started the program at NYIT, I personally ran some of the classes. I no longer actually run the classes because I have handpicked fitness professionals who can perform the job better than I can, and I continue to oversee, organize, help and supervise the program. The unique aspect of having the program at the university is that we accept donations and grants and therefore we can offer scholarships to boxers who are unable to pay for the class. No one is turned away for financial reasons.

The Rock Steady Boxing Solution

Boxing to help fight Parkinson’s disease

Various studies in the 1980s and 1990s supported the notion that rigorous exercise, emphasizing gross motor movement, balance, core strength, and rhythm, could favorably impact range of motion, flexibility, posture, gait, and activities of daily living. More recent studies, most notably at Cleveland Clinic, focus on the concept of intense forced exercise, and have begun to suggest that certain kinds of exercise may be neuro-protective, i.e., actually slowing disease progression. Our clients attest, and academic institutions, such as University of Indianapolis and Butler University, are reporting and documenting the improved quality of life among our boxers. Discovery of a cure may be many years away but in the last seven years, there is evidence that progress is made in all stages of the disease by those participating in the RSB program.

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How Many Boxers Have Parkinsons Disease

One study of 704 retired Thai boxers found a prevalence of Parkinsons similar to that of general Asian populations. The data hinted at a higher rate for boxers with more than 100 professional fights under their belts, but the researchers didnt have enough cases to calculate the rate precisely. Ali had 61 bouts.

Partner With Your Neurologist

Neurologists are aware that not all PD patients see a specialist, but doing so can really help treat your condition. Gather your medical records, jot down your questions, and, if possible, invite your caretaker and be ready to listen to the experts. They will also refer you to social workers and therapists who can assist with issues of speech, swallowing, exercise, diet, driving and more.

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High Intensity Exercise May Be Particularly Helpful

Its thought that high intensity exercise might be particularly beneficial for slowing the progression of PD.

In a 2014 study , researchers examined the benefits of high intensity physical therapy with gait training, strengthening, and perceiving cues on a group of 30 participants in the early stages of PD. They found that the exercise program stimulated increased levels of BDNF and had neuroprotective effects on cells that produce dopamine.

In a 2018 clinical trial , researchers found that a high intensity treadmill program where participants ran at 80 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate three times per week saw no change in the severity of their symptoms over 6 months. Participants who exercised at a lower intensity had a worsening of symptoms.

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