Tandem Bicycling & Parkinson's Disease Research

As of December 2010, about 500,000 people in the U.S. have Parkinson's disease, and an estimated 50,000 new cases are reported every year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. While medication and surgery have helped some Parkinson's patients, the illness is considered incurable. A study by a Cleveland Clinic researcher suggests that tandem bicycling -- cycling on a two-seat bicycle with another rider -- can help reduce Parkinson's symptoms. If you or a loved one has Parkinson's disease, tandem cycling may be a low-cost, healthful way to fight the illness.

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive brain disorder in which a group of brain cells or neurons that control movement gradually deteriorate. The deterioration of these neurons results in a shortage within the brain of a key brain chemical, dopamine. Parkinson's disease patients develop movement problems, characterized by shaking of a limb, slow movement or the inability to move, shuffling walk, stooped posture and stiff limbs. Patients can become depressed, develop dementia, show personality changes, speech problems, sleep disturbances and sexual difficulties. Parkinson's disease can be inherited, and researchers are also looking for environmental causes.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation maintains a "Medications and Treatments" web page describing the latest medications and surgical treatments for Parkinson's disease. Prescription medications, such as levodopa, encourage the brain to produce more dopamine. Researchers are still working on studies to determine whether any health foods, such as blueberries, might slow the progress of Parkinson's disease. A surgical treatment, deep brain stimulation, involves implanting an electric pacemaker-type device under the collarbone, so it can send electrical stimulation to a brain area controlling motor function.

Tandem Bicycling Treatment

Tandem bicycling as a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease was discovered by accident. In 2003, Jay Alberts, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Cleveland Clinic, rode a tandem bicycle across Iowa with his patient, Cathy Frazier, to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease. Alberts noticed that Frazier's writing improved during the trip and saw similar improvements when he rode with a another patient in 2006. A subsequent 2009 study for the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, titled "Forced, Not Voluntary, Exercise Improves Motor Function in Parkinson's Disease," done by Alberts and other researchers, revealed that when the Parkinson's disease patients are pedaling with a healthful cyclist, and forced to pedal 30 percent faster than their preferred rate, significant improvements appear in their coordination and other motor symptoms.

Your Cycling Strategy

If you wish to try tandem cycling to improve your Parkinson's disease symptoms or the symptoms of a loved one, it is easy to buy a tandem bicycle. Tandem bicycles can be purchased through a bicycle store or online. As of 2010, they range from $250 to $850. If you prefer to pedal indoors because of weather conditions or a neighborhood that is unsafe for cycling, you can buy a trainer from a bicycle store that will turn your tandem bicycle into a stationary bicycle.