We have benefited from reading your news posts. You have so much to share. I want to ask your opinion about the Theracycle. Do you know Parkinson’s sufferers who have benefited from this? Do you have testimonials or contacts or can you give my email to one of these. We are trying many of the suggestions we have heard about in your posts. I would like to get this equipment for my husband.

Best regards,

Karima

Thanks so much for your e mail. I am so glad to hear you benefit from my posts and interviews on Parkinsons Recovery Radio.

The Theracycle and Parkinson’s

I do not know anyone specifically who has benefited from the Theracyle product. The principle of forced exercise is discussed in my radio program on April 23, 2009 with Dr. Jay Alberts, an exercise  researcher from the Cleveland Clinic. Jay tells me he thinks that forced exercise might be helping to rewire the brain. His early research suggests that it may provide benefits that are equivalent to current Parkinson’s medications.

You can likely get the same benefit from using equipment at the health club that forces the person to go at a faster pace than they can do on their own. I personally think a special approach that accomplishes the same purpose is the old fashioned tandem bike – with two seats. The healthy person peddles on the front as the person with symptoms of Parkinson’s peddles on the back – keeping up so to speak.

It is not 80 RPM that is critical in my personal opinion. It is that the person on the back is being helped to go at a rate a little faster than they can do on their own. Tandem’s give both persons something fun to do together. And, both benefit from the exercise.

My hunch (without having any evidence) is that the Theracyle is probably great for people. I also suspect there are alternatives (like the tandem bikes) that are less costly. Your husband could try out forced exercise at a health club to see how his body reacts to the exercise approach. It doesn’t have to be on a Theracyle.

I do know they are working on some programming for the Theracycle specifically for Parkinson’s. That will certainly prove interesting and promising I would suspect.

Whatever you decide, please let let me know the outcome. As you are well aware, I will spread the word!

All the best,

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery