What is Boxing Therapy? Boxing and Parkinson's Disease

Life is the best paradox, to the point that drinking a lot of water is harmful and every solution precedes a problem. I enter with this humorous philosophical thinking to try to explain the complexity of existence. The human species feels security in linearities, such as life and death. Among these is the correlation that boxing can cause Parkinson's disease.

This writing is not a parallel world, it is just a brief exposure to a new perspective within this spectrum called boxing and its different multidimensional benefits. As mentioned before, there is some correlation between boxing and various adverse conditions including Parkinson's disease. According to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. affecting movement where symptoms develop gradually, sometimes with a barely perceptible tremor in a single hand.

Tremors are common, but the disorder also often causes stiffness or slowness of movement. The best-known Parkinson's case in boxing is that of the most acclaimed boxer in modern times, Muhammad Ali. According to King and Horak (2009) studies on boxing exercise that include among them a combined training program of jabs, crosses, and hooks in patients with Parkinson's disease indicated that agility, speed, and walking backwards they improved.

• We recommend you read: "Parkinson's: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention"

What benefits can boxing have?

In 2020, Urrutia et al. carried out a pilot study with the purpose of determining if the boxing exercise high-intensity has an effect on sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in people with Parkinson. In a participation sample of 15 participants in a 6-week high-intensity non-contact boxing program significantly decreased the depression and showed trends of improved sleep quality and decreased sleepiness diurnal.

In the same year, Dawson et al. carried out a retrospective observational study where the impact of the boxing program non-contact Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) on clinically relevant outcome measures in 62 patients with Parkinson. To assess change from the start of the program to its completion, the researchers administered the STS test to the participants. (sit and stand) of 30 seconds, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, a quality of life survey (EQ-5D) and a satisfaction survey were analyzed. The results reflected a significant improvement in the STS and TUG tests for the participants who completed their first or second RSB sessions. These results indicate the benefits of RSB for people with Parkinson's disease.

The science of boxing therapy

In 2021, Horbinski et al. evaluated the effects of a boxing therapy treatment in a cohort of 98 participants with Parkinson's disease and included the risk of falls as the primary endpoint and other performance metrics such as the number of times participants were able to stand up from a chair in 15 seconds, stand on each leg for 30 seconds, stand off the ground, walk normally, touch heel to toe, cross and walk backwards, as end points secondary.

Because longitudinal follow-up of boxing therapy participants spanned the COVID-19-associated lockdown, the researchers examined the effect of quarantine and the associated temporary cessation of boxing therapy on the results. The results reflected that the average number of self-reported falls per month per participant decreased by 87% during boxing therapy.. During the lockdown due to COVID-19, participant falls increased by the month.

Women and those over the age of 65 reported the largest increase in falls during the lockdown period. The resumption of boxing therapy after the blockade resulted in another decrease in falls. Quantitative performance metrics, including standing from a seated position and standing on a leg, were largely reflected in the decrease in the pattern of falls before and after the blocking.

It should be noted that although the scientific evidence on boxing-based treatments has increased, it must be taken into account that they are certain boxing exercises and each case varies.. That said, as Horbinski et al. have put it, given the aging of the world's population developed, neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease are becoming increasingly common. Parkison's disease, in particular, is a chronic risk management problem where emphasis is placed on reducing the risk of falls, as such falls often result in secondary trauma that is costly to manage, reduces quality of life, and increases mortality.

Multiple studies have suggested that a variety of physical therapies and exercises may not only decrease the rate at which the risk of falls in patients over time, but may also allow patients to regain some of what they had lost before the start of therapy. Taking into account the information presented, it can be concluded that this writing fulfilled the objective of exposing the different dimensions and forms of how boxing can change lives and it is for this reason that a call is made for more multidisciplinary boxing-based research to increase the well-being of women. people.