Pickleball and Parkinson’s Disease: A recent study from Arizona shows that playing pickleball can help people with Parkinson’s disease improve their daily movements. Physical therapy teams from Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix and Midwestern University in Glendale led a six-week program that helped patients use their hands and arms better.
A First-of-Its-Kind Study
This research is the first to look at how pickleball affects both motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s. Patients played pickleball regularly during the six-week program. They were tested on simple tasks like buttoning a shirt before and after.
After the program, patients were 20% faster at putting on, buttoning, and removing a shirt. One month later, they were over 35% faster. Their grip strength and hand control also improved.
Expert Insight on the Results
Jamie Nesbit, a physical therapist and assistant professor at Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix, and Suzanne O’Neal, a physical therapist and associate professor at Midwestern University College of Health Sciences in Glendale, spoke about the results on the show “Arizona Horizon.”
Why This Matters
The study adds to growing proof that exercise can help people with Parkinson’s live better lives. Activities like pickleball not only offer physical benefits but also provide fun, social ways to stay active. The study shows that even short programs can lead to lasting improvement in how patients move and complete everyday tasks.
News in Brief: Pickleball and Parkinson’s Disease
A study by physical therapy experts at Creighton and Midwestern universities found that a six-week pickleball program helped people with Parkinson’s improve hand movement and strength. The results show that patients completed tasks like buttoning a shirt 35% faster, suggesting that pickleball may be a useful therapy option.
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