Parkinsons patients report better balance after capoeira classes

In this dance studio in Rio de Janeiro, a physiotherapist is giving her patients with Parkinson's disease capoeira lessons. They say it's making a real difference to their lives.

All the participants have been diagnosed with Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disease that afflicts around 200 thousand people in Brazil.

The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease are usually an involuntary shaking, or tremors of particular parts of the body, stiff, inflexible muscles, and slow movement.

Patients can also experience problems with balance, anxiety, and depression.

Twice a week, this group of capoeira players meets at the Lapa neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro.

Their instructor is Rosi Peixoto, who's been practicing capoeira for 17 years.

In 2017, she decided to try capoeira on some of her Parkinson's patients. The group has been going steady ever since and participants report improvements in their movement.

Eighty-year-old Nilma Teles Freitas used to suffer from a lack of balance, with frequent falls and consequent limb fractures. She claims capoeira has helped her greatly.

"Since I began training capoeira, I feel like a different person. I feel safe while walking and looking at others, giving movement to my body and making my life worthwhile," she says.

Capoeira is a traditional Brazilian mixture of dance, music and martial art. It was brought by enslaved Africans from Angola and Congo, where the original version has been lost.

It developed locally in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador.

Discriminated against by the authorities in past decades, it has now become a popular practice in Brazil and abroad.

Other participants also report that these movements have helped them regain the balance that Parkinson's disease makes more difficult.

Movement and music

The combination of movement and music and the purpose of self-defence seem to work.

"Balance was a problem for me. It's what I'm working on, and I'm winning. It's still difficult, but..." says another pupil, José de Lima.

Peixoto explains that the name of the project, "Parkinson's in Ginga," comes from a fundamental capoeira move.

When she is not teaching capoeira, Peixoto is at her downtown clinic in Rio where she helps people with various physical problems using regular physical therapy techniques.

She started using capoeira in this small room seven years ago, before moving to a larger space.

Around the world dance, yoga and sports have been used for Parkinson's relief, but the idea of using capoeira is hers.

"Capoeira is multifactorial. The movement of capoeira is wide and there is swapping between upper and lower limbs, arms and legs in a synchronized and coordinated way," says Peixoto.

Eighty-year-old Antonio Azevedo started learning capoeira three years ago.

At that time, he wasn't able to get up from his bed or from a chair without help. Azevedo is pleased with his progress.

"One month after (starting capoeira) I was able to improve my walk, and nowadays I can walk 7 - 8 kilometres on foot without any problems," says Azevedo.

Activating pathways

At Peixoto's clinic, Dr. Eduardo Nascimento, a neurologist, is leafing through a book he's written on capoeira and neurons.

He oversees many of Peixoto's pupils with drug treatment to control their Parkinson's symptoms but also believes capoeira's rhythm is a great help.

"Many times it promotes an improvement through rhythm for example using the drums. The sequence of the rhythm makes the person predict the motion which probably activates different motor pathways in the brain other than the one which has been compromised," says Nascimento.

The use of sticks is common in the version of capoeira known as "Maculelê".

Peixoto believes these are especially useful for helping balance.

Willy Haas is the newest member of the group and is happy with the new approach: "I've been very well received by Rosi and have been here for the last two months and I feel very good. This is a very non traditional way to treat this disease," he says.

Peixoto hopes one day she will be able to teach the techniques she has developed here to capoeira practitioners in other parts of Brazil, and possibly around the world.

If this Brazilian success story does go global many more people may feel the healing power of capoeira.