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Tag: Health

‘I Have Parkinson’s, but Parkinson’s Doesn’t Have Me’

BY STEVE BURR
PHOTOS BY DAVID WELTON
Whidbey Life Magazine Guest Contributor
August 24, 2016

A few months ago I learned that I have Parkinson’s disease (PD). It’s a neurodegenerative condition in which the brain cells that control movement begin to die.

Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder that makes it hard to walk, talk, balance and move. Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with PD each year. The cause isn’t known, although in my case it’s speculated that exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam with the U.S. Army may be to blame. There’s no way to know for sure. Currently there’s no cure for PD.

So what can someone with PD do if they’d rather fight than lie down and accept becoming gradually disabled?

Hand-wraps protect the boxer’s knuckles and wrists

Some studies support the idea that intense exercise increases neuroplasticity in the brain. In other words, it keeps brain cells healthy. Non-contact boxing training is a nontraditional form of exercise recently used by some patients with PD. Exercises based on boxing drills enhance the specific physical abilities that tend to become lost with PD and they help build confidence.

Agility practice improves the boxer’s balance. (Author Steve Burr works on agility drills with gym owner Dakota Stone)

I first learned about the benefits of boxing for a person with Parkinson’s (PwP) from a feature on the TV program “Sunday Morning” on CBS. As a college student in the early 1960’s (and probably influenced by the phenomenal Muhammad Ali), I took boxing as a Phys Ed elective and really enjoyed it. Fifty years later, the idea that putting on gloves again might delay the onset of my PD symptoms was irresistible. Count me in!

Boxing requires movement in all planes of motion while continuously adjusting for changes in the routine during the workout. Exercising by walking on a treadmill, spinning or weight training is very different. Boxers are well-conditioned athletes because of the diversity of exercises they do to become good fighters. They work on balance, focus, agility, hand-eye coordination, speed, endurance and strength.

Work on the “heavy” and “speed” bags alternates in 2-minute intervals, with 30-second recovery breaks. (Burr in the foreground works the speed bag while John Raabe works a heavy bag while be coached by Stone).

PwPs tend to struggle with these abilities. However, with boxing training, anyone, at any level of PD, can actually lessen their symptoms and lead healthier, happier lives.

So what about the science behind boxing’s relationship to PD? A two-year study by Dr. Stephanie Combs-Miller at the University of Indianapolis’ College of Health Sciences produced the first scientific evidence that multifaceted boxing training is more effective than conventional modes of exercise in helping PwPs maintain or even improve physical ability and quality of life.

Raabe works the heavy bag with Dakota coaching his form.

“We studied people over a two-year period who participated in boxing and we didn’t see any progression of the disease in the people that boxed…In fact, in some cases, they were better after the two-year period of time. Their function was better.”

Physical Therapist Sue Taves consulted with Solid Stone Boxing to develop this community-based fitness class for people with Parkinson’s disease. (Ed Wootton “pulls rope,” a core stabilizing drill with Stone (foreground) and Taves (background).

Dr. Combs-Miller said the high intensity exercises can be neuro-protective.

“It enhances the uptake of dopamine in the brain. It can improve growth of neurons…All the evidence we have now shows that with exercise, particularly high-intensity exercise, we can improve strength. We can improve a person’s walking ability, balance, and their quality of life. And likely, we’re also seeing changes within the brain as well.”

Stone’s training approach features individualized instruction. (Gary Vallat learns how to throw punches in his first class).

I could hardly believe my good fortune when I learned that I could participate in a boxing program like this at a location very close to home. Boxing fitness classes for PwPs are now offered twice a week at Solid Stone Boxing Gym at Ken’s Korner in Clinton. Taught by founder-owner and professional boxer Dakota Stone with her staff of instructors, these special classes are assisted by Sue Taves, a physical therapist at Lone Lake Physical Therapy.

Stone smiles at the end of a workout.

Two months after joining the class, my experience is even better than I could have imagined! The sharp crack and sensation of slamming my gloved fists deep into the heavy bag feels like I’m getting even. Steadily improving my technique on the speed bag, ramping-up the staccato tempo feels like I’m gaining. Relentlessly closing in on my sparring partner, bobbing and weaving around the ring, feels like a metaphor for facing down PD.

Non-contact sparring sessions in the regulation boxing ring tax a boxer’s balance, focus, agility, hand-eye coordination, speed, endurance and strength. (Burr training with Stone in the ring).

By exercising with coaches who “know the ropes,” and supported by the camaraderie of classmates who understand what we’re struggling with, PwPs can fight back and begin to realize that although they have Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s doesn’t have them.

The Body Opponent Bag we call “BOB” is a life-like stationary dummy who patiently takes his punishment.

So far numbering seven determined pugilists, this unusual boxing club has chosen for itself a distinctive moniker: the “Rope-a-Dopas.” This unique title references the most commonly prescribed Parkinson’s disease medication, LDOPA-CDOPA, and the classic “rope-a-dope” fighting style Muhammad Ali used to defeat George Foreman at the “Rumble in the Jungle,” their legendary 1974 slug-fest in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali, using a protected stance, lay against the ropes, causing much of the energy from Foreman’s punches to be absorbed by the ropes’ elasticity rather than his body. Ali’s plan worked. Eventually Foreman “punched himself out” and Ali triumphed.

During class, the boxer’s safety and well-being is carefully attended to. The BOB not so much. (Wootton gives a right to to BOB with Taves looking on)

Boxing fitness classes for men and women with Parkinson’s are now offered twice a week at Solid Stone Boxing Gym at Ken’s Korner in Clinton, WA. If you’re not sure the class is right for you, you are welcome to observe a class first.

For information about the Parkinson’s boxing program described in this article, call Solid Stone Boxing Gym at 360.341.2292.

Boxers’ Comments

“After boxing two days a week for a couple of months, I visited my neurologist for a thorough evaluation of my motor functions, including walking, balance and speech. All have shown improvement for the first time since my diagnosis 13+ years ago.” — Ed Wootton

This is how we fight Parkinson’s! (Wootton send the bag flying).

“It seems any kind of regular exercise has benefit for Parkinson’s. The added benefit of boxing is the variety of exercises, including multiple cross-over moves, lateral movements, balance and coordination. It’s like dancing (also a highly regarded movement therapy) with the added reward of being able to hit things.”   — Gary Vallat

Medicine-ball exercises and rope-pull drills work on boxers’ core strength and endurance. (Vallat follows Stone’s instruction for core drills).

“There is something about getting into a boxing ring that sharpens my focus and quickens my movement.”   — Doug Allderdice

“I was skeptical when I first heard about the boxing program, but figured I’d stop by just to see what’s happening. Planning only to observe, in no time I was hand-wrapped and out in the gym participating. I had a great time and worked up a good sweat! I felt great after the workout. I’m coming back. The camaraderie and encouragement is fantastic!”   — Frank O’Brochta

“I look at these boxing workouts as helpful. Even better if they turn out to be a cure.”   — Bill Wolfman

“I’ve found this boxing program is not only great exercise but great fun.”   — John Raabe

Using “punch mitts” as a target, boxers can put what they’re learning to practical use. (Raabe “hitting mitts” in the ring with Stone).

Before putting on gloves, Coach Donna Parsell applies hand-wraps to protect Burr’s knuckles and wrists.

Coach Lauren Coleman helps to monitor progress, providing boxers encouragement and helping them develop correct technique. Here Coleman helps select the correct gloves for Burr’s workout.

Calisthenics help develop boxers’ upper body strength. (Boxers foreground to background, Burr, Raabe, Wootton, Stone, Vallat).

Medicine-ball exercises and rope-pull drills work on boxers’ core strength and endurance.

Double End Bag drills develop higher level boxing skills: timing, rhythm and punch accuracy.

As the one-hour training session progresses, Dakota works with boxers one-on-one.

It’s “safety first” when entering the ring.

Ed takes a break from sparring in the ring.

More resources:
Stone Boxing Gym
“Sunday Morning” Lesley Stahl on CBS: video and text
Study by Dr. Stephanie Combs-Miller at the University of Indianapolis’ College of Health Sciences
Lone Lake Physical Therapy

Steve Burr supports Healing Circles Langley (http://www.healingcircleslangley.org/) as its volunteer coordinator, is a WhidbeyHealth Hospice volunteer, and a founder/exclusive member (so far) of Seniors Against Trumpism, LLC (425-339-0101 or sburr@fireborne.com).

The author, Steve Burr.

David Welton is a retired cardiologist and WLM photographer, you’ll find him at most South Whidbey community events with his camera.

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WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

August 24, 2016
Lumens || Science, Politics and Spirituality: A Perfect Trifecta

BY SHARON BETCHER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
October 28, 2015

While sociologists of religion speak of the Pacific Northwest as the epitome of “the none zone” (where the majority of persons register no official religious preference on a census), most residents know Whidbey Island to home contemplatives, mystics, naturalists and activists of many religio-spiritual strains with a paradisal dream of living in intimate reciprocity with all beings. Lumens lifts up the voices and wisdom of those who live among us—the creatives whose very creativity, their luminescence, opens out from the taproot of the spiritual path and/or religious faith.

Science, politics and spirituality: Can these creatively mix? Rationalism itches to snuff out religion, and politics can seem heartless. Yet for Freeland resident Elise Miller, who speaks of phthalates and symbionts while participating in meetings at the New York Academy of Medicine and the White House, spirituality serves as the organizing breath of her environmental activism. “Spirituality is like 90 percent of it. My journey is one of becoming more aware. I want to be more conscious when I grow up,” Miller teases, punctuating her intensity with a chuckle.

Miller at the first White House Summit on Climate Change and Health, June, 2015 (photo courtesy of Elise Miller)

Not long after arriving on Whidbey in 1998, Miller founded a nonprofit to promote children’s environmental health. She now serves as director of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE). Speaking of those occasions where her political and intellectual acumen are called upon to address the effects of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and myriad other pollutants on health, she describes her specific contribution: “I midwife the policy conversation. That’s my activism. I’m not on the front lines of protest, but I hold the space for diverse stakeholders to discuss the best available science in order to create policies that shift markets towards healthier practices.” That non-reactive breathing room she holds is her spirituality at work.

Miller’s philosophy of life is one cobbled and crafted, rather than the inheritance of cradle or creedal path, if even of Buddhism. “Buddhist cosmology most closely aligns with how I want to be in the world,” Miller explains, “but I don’t consider myself a Buddhist. Labels bother me. There are so many ways of making meaning; I want to remain open.”

Miller speaking at the New York Academy of Medicine, June 2012 (photo courtesy of Elise Miller)

Science also opens onto the awe of our intimate communion with life, Miller notes. We literally “con-spire,” or breathe together, with the universe. But, Miller advises, “Science can, like religion, assume certainty where it is just not possible.” Miller consequently subscribes to the precautionary principle—a principle that embraces the fundamental uncertainty that characterizes the scientific method and underlies our very existence as creatures. As a principle, it incorporates an awareness of unknowing—as much spiritual humility as scientific confession. Upward trends in a number of diseases and disabilities suggest that taking precautions to minimize childhood exposures to toxic chemicals—now ubiquitous in our air, water, soil and consumer products—must be, Miller suggests, as much of a global concern as inadequate nutrition and poverty.

The youngest of three siblings, her baptism was forgotten amidst the dramas of Virginia politics (Miller’s father was Attorney General). Miller describes herself as the “good girl” who, prompted by intuitive impulse, veered creatively off the presumed path. After graduating from Dartmouth (not Princeton, which was considered by her family to be the only Ivy League school worth attending), Miller traveled as a journalist to India. Out of intellectual curiosity, she sat a ten-day meditation retreat in Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha is thought to have attained his enlightenment. That experience opened for Miller an inner, unknown world—one that had not been valued by her family. Miller returned to the U.S. with questions like, Why does the mind so habitually devolve into polarities of either/or, mind/body, us/them?

Veering away from graduate studies, she signed on as a housekeeper for the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts. Taught by Sharon Salzburg, Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, Miller built a corporeal foundation for her spiritually informed living—a breathing practice that shaped the solar plexus to appreciatively hold the fundamental interconnectedness of all which our defensive minds want to separate. For a child saturated in Calvinist moroseness, this visceral immersion helped Miller experience a sense of deep authenticity: “I know who I am. The ‘small self’ human is connected to the ‘big self’ of the universe.” Around that felt connection, Miller has cultivated her daily discipline—the work of “showing up” with her appreciative intellectual, scientific and political skills and with openness to the potentialities in each moment. She feels that by keeping her heart and mind expansive, the wisest course of action can emerge.

Bhopal protest after Union Carbide disaster (photo courtesy of Elise Miller)

If her spiritual life opened out through breath meditation, inhalation also brought awareness of the chemical horror of Bhopal. Miller arrived in India only ten months after the explosion at the Union Carbide plant that killed 22,000 people and left residual human health problems from chemical contamination. Later, when Miller was head of a small private foundation investing in environmental health initiatives, her work intersected with that of biologist Sandra Steingraber. From Steingraber, Miller learned a startling fact: human breast milk is among the most contaminated of human foods. Riffing on Rebecca Solnit’s essay The Faraway Nearby, Miller points out that the faraway—of moving environmental questionables overseas, for example—is always more nearby than we imagine.

Miller in 2015 Black Hills Triathalon, Lacey, WA (photo courtesy of Elise Miller)

Today, Miller’s way of “con-spiring” with the universe assumes a more kinetic form than Buddhist seated meditation. She is a triathlete, placing first in her age group during the August 2015 Whidbey Island Triathlon. The physics of maintaining serene receptivity even when in motion serves in no small way as “advanced” spiritual practice. Miller, who moved to Whidbey Island because it offered a more human scale of community, turns life experience itself on the lathe of spiritual wisdom. An upcoming trip back to Nepal with son Ravi and husband Dan offers, she explains, a chance not only to contribute human service to the 2015 Nepal earthquake relief efforts, but again to relinquish status—to shed the barnacles of ego—by living as kin with the mass of humanity.

Miller, son Ravi and husband Dan in Kathmandu, 2005 (photo courtesy of Elise Miller)

Ten-year-old Ravi will be on this trip making a journey back to Kathmandu, the place of his birth. His adoption speaks, like so much else in Miller’s life, to the spiritual kinship and non-dual nature of her spiritual path Speaking of the planet’s swelling human population, Miller notes, “They’re all our kids. ‘Mine’ doesn’t have to be biological. ‘They’ are not other.” With an effervescent chuckle signaling that she is again approaching wonder, Miller adds a concluding thought: “And frankly, I experience the world differently when I walk with Ravi.”

To support Elise, Ravi and Dan’s relief work in Nepal, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/nepalreliefw ork or https://www.facebook.com/elisegmiller.

Image at top: Elise Miller

An academic theologian and philosopher by background, Sharon Betcher is now an independent scholar, writer and wannabe farmer living on south Whidbey. As a writer, she won the 2012 Short Story Smash and took first place in the memoir category of the Whidbey Island Writers Association’s 2012 contest. In March 2015, Betcher presented at the annual Women of Whidbey (WOW) Stories Conference.

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CLICK HERE to read more WLM stories and blogs. Have a great story idea? Let us know at info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

October 28, 2015