When you think of Parkinson's disease, you probably don't think of patients riding a bicycle built for two, also known as a tandem. However, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic found that the exercise can help relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Tandem bicycle exercise is not right for all Parkinson's patients. It is imperative that patients do the exercise with a trainer.
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative nerve condition caused by a deficiency of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Those afflicted have difficulty moving parts of their body. Classic symptoms include muscle freezing, tremors and difficulty writing and swallowing. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but patients can take medications for their symptoms. Doctors now know that tandem bicycle exercise is effective for some patients.
The Discovery
The link between tandem exercise and Parkinson's disease was made by Dr. Jay Alberts at the Cleveland Clinic. He noticed a friend's Parkinson's symptoms decreased after they'd been riding a tandem for several hours together. Alberts turned the observation into a clinical trial and discovered that stationary tandem riding with the patient in the back and a trainer in the front forces Parkinson patients to ride faster than they normally would, which challenges the body and the brain. Alberts says this releases dopamine and activates the part of the brain that controls body movement, which may explain the improvement in symptoms.
The Exercise
Alberts says Parkinson's patients must first talk to their doctors before attempting any stationary tandem bicycle riding, and even then, it must be done in an extremely safe environment, not outside on the street. He says patients must ride with a trainer in front who can pedal the bike at 80 to 90 rpms for an hour at a time. It will be most effective if the exercise is done several times a week. The clinical study showed this can help relieve some symptoms within eight weeks by as much as 35 percent. Alberts says symptoms will return if patients stop cycling.
Considerations
Beware of companies that sell motorized bicycles claiming they can reproduce the same results for Parkinson's patients as the ones in Alberts' tandem study. As of June 2011, Alberts is studying whether motorized cycling has a similar effect. He is also not endorsing any motorized stationary cycles, as of 2011.
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