Intense exercise may help slow Parkinson's disease, say experts

Recent findings from an international team of researchers suggest that a vigorous exercise regimen may possibly halt the progression of Parkinson's disease, opening the door for non-pharmaceutical methods of relieving symptoms and treating the condition.
Parkinson’s disease is a condition that is newly diagnosed in almost 90,000 people each year in the United States according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Currently, there is no cure.
Clinical scientists around the world are attempting to not only find a cure but also are looking to help manage symptoms and understand how this management works.
Parkinson's disease, which has been afflicting people for many years, is the second most prevalent neurological ailment in the world after Alzheimer's disease.
However, the early stages of this condition are difficult to understand as many of the symptoms occur years after the damage starts.
This study in rats, investigated whether rigorous physical activity could affect the brain changes present in an experimental model of Parkinson’s.
Aerobic exercise has helped people with Parkinson’s
Data showing that vigorous exercise reduces both the motor and cognitive symptoms connected with Parkinson's disease were published on July 14 in the journal Science Advances by a team of neuroscientists from the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University, Rome Campus with the A. Gemelli IRCCS Polyclinic Foundation.
Through this research they also better understand how this occurs.
“As a neurologist, taking care of Parkinson’s disease patients in the early stages, I noticed that some of them had better course of the disease when they were routinely active doing aerobic exercise,” said Paolo Calabresi, corresponding study author and Full Professor of Neurology in the Department of Neuroscience at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy.