{"id":76124,"date":"2024-05-29T15:59:35","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T21:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=76124"},"modified":"2024-10-18T09:50:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T15:50:45","slug":"people-dealing-with-ms-parkinsons-and-alzheimers-benefit-from-ping-pong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/people-dealing-with-ms-parkinsons-and-alzheimers-benefit-from-ping-pong\/","title":{"rendered":"Ping-pong encourages movement and sparks joy for people dealing with MS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Pam
Pam Cofer grins after hitting a ping-pong ball during a NeuroPong gathering in Fort Collins for people with neurodegenerative conditions like MS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The woman sits in her wheelchair at one end of a ping-pong table and focuses intently on the small white ball as it bounces toward her. She readies her paddle, then smacks the ball perfectly, sending a winner back across the net.<\/p>\n

Pam Cofer grins, and her eyes twinkle as she smashes ball after ball.<\/p>\n

Pam was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1991. Back then, she worked as an insurance saleswoman and noticed she was having trouble walking in heels. She saw a neurologist who diagnosed her with MS, a progressive condition for which there are treatments to reduce additional attacks, but no cures.<\/p>\n

These days, Pam is happily retired at 72 and lives a full life in Fort Collins, where her great grandparents helped settle the community. Her mom is thriving at 92 years old, and Pam has two daughters.
\n\"logo<\/p>\n

No other family members have MS, and Pam doesn\u2019t know why the challenging illness struck her. But rates of MS are especially high in Colorado. Researchers are trying to determine why MS rates are disproportionately high in Colorado and are investigating an array of potential MS triggers including low Vitamin D levels and prior infections.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the causes, MS often robs people of movement over time, and for the last six months, Pam has had to spend most of her days in a wheelchair. When a friend told Pam about a table tennis program called NeuroPong<\/a> for people with neurodegenerative conditions like MS, Parkinson\u2019s and Alzheimer\u2019s, Pam was uncertain, but figured she\u2019d give it a try.<\/p>\n

It turns out that joining the ping-pong group has been a wonderful experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has encouraged my whole body to wake up again,\u201d Pam said.<\/p>\n

\"Pam
Pam Cofer is able to hit ping-pong balls from her wheelchair. She has been living with MS for several years and recently started playing ping-pong for fun and to boost her eye-hand coordination. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When she first started playing several months ago, it was tough to hold the paddle. Now, with a special, lighter-weight paddle, she has become a pro at returning serves. Pam and other NeuroPong participants don\u2019t play competitively. Rather, they meet up twice a week, stretch, socialize, move as well as they can, have fun and hit balls together.<\/p>\n

Pam participates in the Fort Collins program where sessions take place at a church gym. There are also NeuroPong gatherings in Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and St. George, Utah, with plans to expand further.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really awesome to be able to do something that gives you good results and helps you feel very positive,\u201d Pam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith MS, there\u2019s so much in your life that doesn\u2019t work. It\u2019s really nice to have something that does work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

On top of the in-person NeuroPong sessions, Pam enjoys practicing her shots at home.

Keep up to date with the latest news on Alzheimer’s disease.<\/a><\/div>\n

\u201cI have a ball on a string hanging from a door,\u201d she said, then cracked a joke about another method to improve her ping-pong skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been trying to sleep with my paddle, but so far, that hasn\u2019t made me better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing table tennis has been great for Pam\u2019s eye-hand coordination and helps her keep her arms, wrists and hands loose and strong. Plus, it soothes the soul.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably more social than anything. That\u2019s really good for me because I could be happy staying home and being in a little cocoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

A table tennis program born, by accident, as a doctor fought his own MS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dr. Antonio Barbera founded the NeuroPong program after accidentally discovering that table tennis helped him manage some of his most bothersome symptoms after he was diagnosed with MS in 2016.<\/p>\n

Barbera used to be a busy obstetrician with practices in Summit County and Fort Collins. Just before the loss of mobility forced the doctor to give up his obstetrical work, Barbera was proud to have assisted a patient with a complex breech delivery of twins.<\/p>\n

With Barbera\u2019s help, the woman achieved her goal of avoiding a cesarean delivery. Barbera was relishing the joy of a healthy, complex birth when, just hours later, he lost complete control of his left arm. He couldn\u2019t feel anything or move his arm.<\/p>\n

A previous MS episode had robbed him of the use of his right leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to re-learn how to walk,\u201d said Barbera. \u201cI had no idea how to fire my muscles.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a lot of work, Barbera eventually was able to walk with a cane and was able to work a little while longer. But after losing mobility in his left arm during his second bad MS episode, he could no longer practice medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt worthless at first. I couldn\u2019t do anything for anybody,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have no idea why our bodies attack us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barbera\u2019s former wife had given him a ping-pong table as a 40th<\/sup> birthday gift, and he had played a little table tennis as a teen growing up in Italy. Now 61 with four kids \u2014 two of his own, and two with his current partner \u2014 Barbera discovered that playing ping-pong was therapeutic and fun.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Anthony Barbera plays ping-pong during a NeuroPong class in Fort Collins. He created the program after accidentally discovering that playing ping-pong helped with Barbera’s challenging MS symptoms. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most challenging MS symptom Barbera experiences is a severe tightening in his chest. It\u2019s called the \u201cMS hug.\u201d For many people, the tightening sensation lasts a few minutes at a time, but for Barbera it persists 24\/7, and the constriction can be so bad that it feels like he\u2019s having a heart attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in 2019, during the holidays, I was playing ping-pong, and it was the only time when I got distracted from this darn tightening in my chest,\u201d Barbera said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a physician, I started looking for ways to use ping-pong for people living with MS to see if there were any studies investigating possible benefits of the sport. If it was working for me, I figured it might help others,\u201d he said.
\n

\n

NeuroPong is a Ready. Set. CO-approved program<\/h2>\n

Learn more about Ready. Set. CO<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Barbera ended up creating a nonprofit organization called Table Tennis Connections<\/a> and designed the NeuroPong program in 2021.<\/p>\n

Traditional table tennis can be highly competitive as players duke it out for points and games. In NeuroPong, players celebrate every time a participant returns a volley so the player on the other side can try to hit it back.<\/p>\n

Since launching the program, Barbera has teamed up with medical experts at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> and researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a> to study potential benefits of ping-pong for people with neurodegenerative conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started learning about what our brains have the capacity to do,\u201d Barbera said. \u201cWith MS, it\u2019s like someone has taken a knife and has damaged the lining that protects our nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barbera learned that, if challenged, the human brain can generate new cells and new neural connections. He wondered if playing ping-pong could stimulate the brains of people with neurodegenerative conditions.<\/p>\n

The sport might be perfect because it\u2019s accessible to people of nearly all ages and all abilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have people with walkers and canes and in wheel chairs. They all have so much fun,\u201d Barbera said.<\/p>\n

Plus, there\u2019s a low bar for trying table tennis. Almost all of us have played at one time or another. It\u2019s affordable, portable and taps into the playfulness of childhood.<\/p>\n

It also might be good for the brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to challenge our brains. When we play table tennis, our brains say, \u2018Oh, this is new for me. I need to produce new cells and create new connections,\u2019\u201d Barbera said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what conditions you have. We are all human. We have brains, and we need to use them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Anthony Barbera, creator of the NeuroPong program, helps Pam Cofer get a good grip on her paddle so she can connect better with ping-pong balls. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Enlisting researchers to study potential health benefits of ping-pong<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dr. Enrique Alvarez<\/a> is a neurologist who specializes in caring for patients with MS. He and others can help patients with their MS symptoms, but there aren\u2019t good treatments that reverse the damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have good MS drugs for the progressive form of the disease,\u201d Alavarez said. \u201cSo as patients get more advanced cases, trying to fight that progression becomes harder and harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving as much as possible clearly helps.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply put, if you don\u2019t move, you just keep getting weaker and worse. None of us does well sitting around,\u201d said Alvarez, who is also vice chair of clinical research<\/a> and an associate professor of neurology<\/a> at the University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very helpful for everybody to stay as active as possible, physically, mentally and in every way that you can,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Alvarez has joined Barbera in studying the effects of ping-pong on patients with MS. The research is ongoing, so there aren\u2019t results yet.<\/p>\n

Dr. Matthew Woodward is a neurologist in a movement disorders fellowship who did a pilot study on the impact of table tennis for patients with Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we have found in prior studies is that exercise is the only thing we have to slow down disease progression,\u201d Woodward said.<\/p>\n

Just like MS, there are treatments for the symptoms of Parkinson\u2019s, but increased movement can actually help people regain function.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, for every patient with Parkinson\u2019s, we make sure to talk to them about doing some form of aerobic exercise,\u201d said Woodward, who is finishing his fellowship in Colorado and will be heading to a new job in Pittsburgh soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell patients to run if they can, or if they don\u2019t like running, do whatever they can to keep moving,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to keep finding things that we enjoy and find entertaining.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where table tennis comes in. It could be a great fit for a broad swath of people.<\/p>\n

Woodward\u2019s study was relatively small, so he didn\u2019t find dramatic results. But both he and Alvarez hope to keep studying the potential benefits of table tennis for people with movement disorders or neurodegenerative coditions.<\/p>\n

How does exercise help people with movement disorders?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Alavarez said movement inspires more movement.<\/p>\n

\u201cExercise is one of those things that even if you don\u2019t have any diseases, it helps,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a fancy term: neuroplasticity, which refers to the way nerves can reconnect,\u201d Alavarez said. \u201cYou can activate nerves with activity and exercise. The nerves may not increase in number, but the connections get more efficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you can get stronger, it can help you get around more easily and lose weight. Then you\u2019re not going to be carrying excess weight on weak, unbalanced or tight legs,\u201d he said. \u201cIt all depends on how your disease is manifesting, but the benefits of exercise are really multi-faceted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alvarez always encourages patients to pick sports they like. He, for instance, is not a swimmer or a runner.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t mind chasing a ball, so I\u2019ll play soccer all day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have people who like to do individual sports, while others like team sports,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said the benefits of ping-pong likely go beyond the boost in physical activity and better coordination.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s social too, so there are a lot of mental health benefits,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cPeople get really excited to find these activities and interact with other people. Having fun and being around others with similar conditions has a positive influence on your overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodward said the social benefits can help combat isolation and common symptoms that accompany progressive movement disorders.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople with Parkinson\u2019s often deal with depression, anxiety and apathy,\u201d Woodward said.<\/p>\n

Regular get-togethers with others who face similar health challenges is great.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some accountability. The community can push you and will ask if you\u2019re going to be here next week,\u201d Woodward said. \u201cWe hear this all the time about classes or groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re the person\u2019s favorite time of the week. They get to see friends and know they\u2019re going to have fun. So they keep doing the activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs doctors, sometimes we may underemphasize the simple benefits of having fun,\u201d Woodward said.<\/p>\n

Regardless of skill level, everyone is welcome. Ping-pong forces you to ‘move, play and learn’<\/h2>\n

At six tables spread around a gym, players, volunteers and caregivers all play ping-pong. They can keep score if they wish, but that\u2019s optional.<\/p>\n

For Gil Wette, who was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s nearly two years ago, the NeuroPong group is a blast.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of laughter and joking around. It offers so much. Research shows there are a lot of benefits mentally and physically. It\u2019s a fun group,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Wade Warberg has been dealing with MS for more than 21 years and has had tough impacts like the loss of sight part way up his left eye and reduced mobility in his right leg. For work, Warberg helps design power lines and is still able to do his job he supervises teams and primarily works on computers at a desk. He now needs to walk with a cane and occasionally uses a wheelchair.<\/p>\n

He loves NeuroPong.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t realize all that it\u2019s doing for you. It forces you to move and do things that you probably weren\u2019t comfortable doing on your own. You just play and learn. There\u2019s no whining here. Everyone is positive here. You see people with different issues from Parkinson\u2019s to MS to dementia. It\u2019s all fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Wade
Wade Warberg loves playing ping-pong. He thinks it’s good for both his physical and mental health. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As for health benefits, Warberg thinks he\u2019s improving both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m lucky that my mind is still in pretty good shape, but I think I\u2019ve become sharper mentally,\u201d he said. \u201cI would love to move better, so I keep coming twice a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like riding a bike. You don\u2019t just jump on it and ride the Tour de France,\u201d he said. \u201cYou keep practicing, and you get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Until about five years ago, Warberg used to ski regularly. MS robbed him of that joy, which triggered a period of depression.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went into a dark hole,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Now, he knows that staying busy and active \u2014 and enjoying time with his wife and two kids \u2014 is the key to staying happy and healthy.<\/p>\n

At ping-pong sessions, ‘little miracles for everyone’<\/h2>\n

For Peggy McCauley, coming to NeuroPong gives her the opportunity to see her husband as he once was. Jerry, 73, is dealing with Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always been athletic and thrived on physical activity. He used to ski. Now he gets lost on the slopes,” she said.<\/p>\n

The opposite happens at the table tennis gatherings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to see these little miracles happen for everyone here. You see differences in their demeanor and great social interactions. You see them laughing and moving. It\u2019s wonderful,\u201d Peggy said.<\/p>\n

\"Jerry
Jerry McCauley is dealing with Alzheimer’s. He’s always been a talented athlete. Playing ping-pong gives Jerry and his wife, Peggy McCauley, a chance to enjoy moments of joy and normalcy. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Joseph Flanigan, now 75, dealing with MS has been a classic hero\u2019s journey. He had served in the Marines and was just 40 and working as a busy engineer for IBM in New York when he received his MS diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came home from a trip and was really, really tired. I was walking down the steps, fell on my back and lay there unable to get help for 36 hours,\u201d Flanigan said.<\/p>\n

Doctors initially thought Flanigan had cancer and nearly did surgery when Flanigan\u2019s team eventually figured out he had MS.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil we got MRIs in the 90s, MS was often misdiagnosed,\u201d Flanigan said.<\/p>\n

Along with fatigue, he dealt with his left side freezing. There were no good medications.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was first diagnosed, I was really embarrassed. I didn\u2019t want people to open doors for me. I\u2019m a tough guy, an ex-Marine. I started tripping over my feet and thought something was wrong with my shoes,\u201d Flanigan said.<\/p>\n

\"Joseph
Joseph Flanigan was at the peak of a busy career with IBM when he fell down some stairs and learned he had MS. He loves the ping-pong group. Here, he stretches with Pam Cofer, left, and Kailyn Ferguson, right, a student from Colorado State University who is studying health and exercise science and volunteers with the NeuroPong class in Fort Collins. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eventually he started walking with a cane and came to grips with his disease. He loves to solve problems and thinks the ping-pong program is a great way to deal with a tough disease where symptoms can come and go.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to reprogram your brain. You got through a trauma, then you go through a heroes journey \u2014 just like Star Wars \u2014 to change it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was forced to retire when I was only 50. I had to go through a grief experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Flanigan enjoyed playing ping-pong as a kid and connected with Barbera as soon as he heard about the program. He loves NueroPong because he thinks it helps rewire his brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the best experience. I\u2019ve had years and years of physical therapy, and Dr. Barbera developed something that didn\u2019t exist. It helps reconnect the nerves,\u201d said Flanigan, who lives nearby in Loveland and has been participating in the program for about a year.<\/p>\n

“People with neurodegenerative diseases have complex life challenges. For some players, just to approach a table and hold a paddle with an expectation of hitting a ball is significant. In NeuroPong, the challenge is to return a single volley so the other player can also hit the ball. Many times, a single return volley is significant,” Flanigan said.<\/p>\n

He also loves the group dynamics.<\/p>\n

“In sports, team loyalty and esprit de corps are a natural phenomenon. With NeuroPong, Dr. Barbera created new opportunities for people living with neurodegenerative diseases to connect with others and engage in activities that allow everyone to be part of a team,” Flanigan said.<\/p>\n

For Pam Cofer, it\u2019s wonderful to have a place where she feels comfortable, regardless of her skill level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m probably the worst one here, but when I connect with the ball, it feels great,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all have struggles. Just because yours aren\u2019t as visible as mine doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re not dealing with something.”<\/p>\n

\"Playing
Playing ping-pong and practicing at home gives Pam Cofer joy and a break from her challenging MS symptoms. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rather than having people feel sorry for her, she gets to feel pure as she hits the ball and little white balls plink around tables and the gym floor.<\/p>\n

Said Pam: \u201cIt\u2019s a universe of positivity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The woman sits in her wheelchair at one end of a ping-pong table and focuses intently on the small white ball as it bounces toward her. She readies her paddle, then smacks the ball perfectly, sending a winner back across the net. Pam Cofer grins, and her eyes twinkle as she smashes ball after ball. 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