New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients

Nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease. There is no cure, and symptoms only get worse.

But a new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.

It makes life more manageable for patients.

The first sign of Parkinson’s disease hit 63-year-old Lamont Dorrity early in life.

“My early 50s, so, I was one of the low percentage that got it early, and I had tremors in the mouth and tremors in the hand,” Dorrity said.

A deep brain stimulation surgery took care of his tremors, but other symptoms like fatigue, muscle stiffness, and problems with balance and walking were only getting worse until about a year ago when Dorrity entered a research-backed program called Pedaling for Parkinson’s.

“Even the second time I came, after doing the cycling and walking, I felt like my walking was more fluid,” Dorrity said.

Exercise therapist Adam Ballenger said the program is not about cycling at a comfortable pace. The benefits come from forced cycling, where participants are pushed to pedal at a high rate of at least 80 RPMs for at least 40 minutes. The exercise also pumps dopamine into the brain and participants say it all leads to a noticeable improvement in parkinson’s-related symptoms.

The biggest challenge is getting up and doing it.

Some of the participants saw their Parkinson’s-related symptoms improve by as much as 35%. It’s not a cure, but researchers believe it can slow the progression of the disease.

Unfortunately, the program at Intermountain Health is currently on hold.

The exercise therapist and Dorrity stand by the results and encourage more Pedaling for Parkinson’s patients.