'UN GANCIO AL PARKINSON', IN FLORENCE THE FIRST ASSOCIATION THAT FIGHTS THE DISEASE WITH BOXING
Boxing training to combat the symptoms of Parkinson's. This is the innovative strategy put in place by the 'Un gancio al Parkinson' Association, presented today in Florence in the presence of the Regional Councillor for Welfare, Stefania Saccardi, to limit the damage caused by a degenerative disease that in Tuscany alone counts more than 20 thousand cases, of which 2000 in Florence. It is a disease that progressively stiffens the muscles, making movement and speech difficult and that, in recent years, has also affected celebrities such as Pope John Paul II and the former heavyweight champion, Muhammed Ali. But it is precisely from the world of boxing that valuable help arrives today, helpful in slowing down the course of the disease.
'Boxing,' says Dr. Maurizio Bertoni, president of the Association Un gancio al Parkinson, 'besides being one of the oldest sports in the world, it is also one of the most complete because it develops coordination of movements, balance, reflexes, and muscle elasticity. Training these qualities, which are lost during neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, significantly improves the quality of life of patients, even in advanced stages of the disease'.
The Association operates within the Training Lab in Florence, the first medical centre where boxing against Parkinson's is practised (warm-up exercises, boxing blows, rope jumps, etc.) and where 25 patients (17 men and 8 women) aged between 50 and 75 are currently followed free of charge twice a week.
By February, the Association will publish the first scientific study analysing the benefits of boxing in slowing down Parkinson's symptoms. 'In the United States, where this type of training was first put into practice for Parkinson's patients, a study has already been published, based on 6 patients,' says Dr Bertoni. - We will base it on our 25 patients, thanks to the contribution of our scientific committee, which is made up of medical experts in the field, both Italian and American'.
But the first positive effects are already clearly visible. According to the Association, after the first three months of training, patients show a good improvement in balance, posture and coordination, being able to move and walk better and maintain this progress in the medium to long term.
Today, anyone suffering from this disease can contact the 'Un gancio al Parkinson' Association free of charge and, after a series of tests carried out by the medical staff, can train at the Training Lab Centre, followed by specially trained boxing instructors.
By the Press Office
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