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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

   ROCKING

PARKINSON’S

 WORLD

With Rock Steady Boxing, Parkinson’s disease
symptoms don’t have a fighting chance.

FOR PEOPLE WITH Parkinson’s               their motor skills, sometimes in as little      Rehabilitation Hospital,
disease, everyday activities suddenly     as a week.                                  Navicent Health is a growing
become challenges. Slow movements,                                                     program that wants to reach
shaking and loss of balance can              “One man had to walk with a cane
make simple movements more                when he first came to us,” Anderson             people with all levels of
difficult.                                says. “Pretty soon, he didn’t need it       Parkinson’s disease. The more
                                          anymore. He was walking upright.            education we can provide to
   Roughly 50,000 people are diagnosed    We were all proud of him, and he was
with Parkinson’s disease each year,       proud of himself, too.”                      patients, the more they will
according to the National Institutes                                                    realize they are not alone.”
of Health. Physical and occupational      FIGHTING SIDE BY SIDE
therapy can help patients control their                                                  —Jennifer Peth, MSOTR/LC/NDT, occupational
symptoms.                                 Jennifer Peth, MSOTR/LC/NDT,                                therapist at Navicent Health
                                          occupational therapist at Rehabilitation
   Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent      Hospital, Navicent Health, says that         Rock Steady Boxing classes are available
Health offers several therapy services    in addition to managing Parkinson’s            on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
to patients with Parkinson’s disease.     disease symptoms, Rock Steady Boxing
However, one of the things that makes     also gives patients a place to make         mornings at 10:30 a.m., and Monday and
Rock Steady Boxing different is that,     friends while learning a new skill.          Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Macon-
instead of a therapy program, it is both
a therapy program and a tried-and-true       “It’s a great community,” she says.        Bibb United Boxing and Conditioning
boxing workout. The class is led by a     “The coach calls them his Rock Steady              Club, 3301 Roff Ave., in Macon.
coach with boxing experience.             Boxing family. ”
                                                                                          Participants must have a physician’s
   “Boxers have to be aware of things        For those with Parkinson’s disease, a          clearance and physical therapist
like hand-eye coordination and motor      sense of community can be especially
skills,” says Patrick Anderson, boxing    encouraging.                                    evaluation before beginning. Email
coach with Rock Steady Macon-                                                          navicentmaconbibb@rsbaffiliate.com for
Bibb Navicent Health. “Patients with         “When someone is diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease tend to lose those,   Parkinson’s disease, they may feel like                    more information.
but boxing helps build them again.”       they have to manage their symptoms
                                          on their own,” Peth says. “We want to
   Boxing helps Parkinson’s disease       show people that’s not the case. Several
symptoms become easier to manage.         resources are available at Rehabilitation
Many patients notice big changes in       Hospital, Navicent Health that will help
                                          them stay healthy.”

6 navicenthealth.org | FALL 2019
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