Parkinson's is a neurological disorder that makes the muscle movement can not be controlled. Although difficult to walk and sometimes shaking, some people with Parkinson's did not have problems when it came to riding a bicycle.
A neurologist, Dr.. Bastiaan R. Bloem from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands were surprised by a patient who suffered from Parkinson's but could ride a bike. No half-hearted, patient was cycling a few miles away.
Dr. Bloem of knowing exactly that Parkinson's patients have impaired his movement. However, patients aged 58 said that she exercised regularly by riding a bicycle, something that should not be possible for patients in the stage of disease.
"He told me just yesterday riding a bike as far as 10 kilometers," said Dr. Bloem as reported by the NYTimes on Friday (10/07/2011). "He rides a bike for miles every day."
While showing off its capabilities, such patients can indeed mengedarai bike. In fact he was able to bend and can control the bike perfectly, as if symptoms disappear during Parkinsonnya he sat on a bicycle saddle, but again it is difficult to move when it got off the bike.
Out of curiosity, Dr. Bloem and then ask the other 20 patients with severe to ride a bike and can do it all. Only, there is no theory that can explain why.
"This observation is very new and exciting," said Dr. Bloem. "Of course, I do not recommend that patients with Parkinson's riding a bike and go out into the street. They need help in a bike ride and can get difficult if you have to stop at traffic lights. They have to drive in a safe zone."
Experts suspect that the cycling activates different brain parts of running a not so badly affected by Parkinson's disease. Or maybe just the rhythm of a bicycle pedal pressure signals the nervous system of the patient's legs to allow movement of cycling.
"Cycling certainly do not cure patients," adds Dr. Lisa M. Shulman, professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Do most patients with severe Parkinson's disease will be able to ride a bike is a question that needs to be tested. Maybe they are not able to do one type of exercise can do other sports."
Dr. Bloem said that he hoped might be regular exercise can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Experiments on rats prove b ahwa that were possible. He is running a clinical trial in 600 patients to see whether exercise can also slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in humans.