In Germany, people with Parkinson’s play ping-pong to reduce their symptoms

Six million people suffer from this degenerative disease worldwide. In Germany, sick people practice this sport in a club to combat tremors or stiffness. A therapy that has proven itself according to its followers.

Thursday April 11 is World Parkinson’s Day. Six million people suffer from this degenerative disease worldwide. The opportunity to take an interest in a particular type of therapy that is very developed in Germany: table tennis. Across the Rhine, 1,700 Parkinson’s patients regularly practice this sport which helps them reduce physical symptoms such as tremors or stiffness. The followers are grouped together within an association called PingPongParkinson.

That day, a dozen patients met at a gym in west Berlin. Günter, 70, is about to start a match. No way for him to miss his two weekly training sessions. “I play for about two hours each time, he says. There is a very good atmosphere here, it helps me coordinate movements and improves my reflexes. When we play, we forget about the illness, and we also realize that we are still capable of doing things.”

“It helps you sleep better.”

For Robert, also 70 years old, this is only the second visit to the ping-pong club. The retiree has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several months. “I had never played table tennis before but I think it’s a great sport. For mobility, for balance, and it helps you sleep better in the evening. With illness, the muscles stiffen. We have to get them moving and keep them moving. If we don’t do anything, it’s devastating and the disease takes over.”

When it was created in 2020, the association offered two weekly ping-pong sessions for Parkinson’s patients in Berlin. Now there are 17, explains Aysel Akkus, who supervises Tuesday training. “Table tennis is recognized as a sport with beneficial effects for Parkinson’s patients and is therefore recommended by doctorshe explains. That’s why there are more and more people. They can play for an hour if that’s enough for them or stay until the end of the lesson. Most of them stay the four hours.”

“When some people play, we no longer even notice that they are sick.”

Aysel Akkus, who supervises training

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At 63, Michaela has been living with Parkinson’s disease for three years. This retired theater teacher recently joined the ping-pong club. A way, she says, to also fight against isolation. “Many Parkinson’s patients withdraw into themselves because they don’t want to be seen shaking, walking slowly, or moving strangely. says Michaela. Because it’s embarrassing, because it makes you uncomfortable. The gaze of others is very heavy. Here, we meet people who are in exactly the same situation, we can discuss, talk about our problems. We understand each other.”

Several members of the club will participate in the next Ping-Pong World Cup for Parkinson’s patients. This year, Slovenia is hosting the competition in the fall.