presenter legend
With ping pong against Parkinson’s: Frank Elstner is also there
In addition to moderator Frank Elstner (m), over 200 people from 15 nations are taking part. They all have a Parkinson’s diagnosis in common. photo
© Malte Krudewig/dpa
Table tennis enables movements for Parkinson’s patients that are often no longer possible in everyday life. Despite the lack of scientific studies, initial experiences are promising.
Frank Elstner (81) grasps the table tennis bat with determination. The former “Wetten, dass..?” moderator seems a bit shaky, but he has his sights firmly set on his goal: the opposite side of the table tennis table, where the small ball could perhaps help him win right away. “But it’s not really about winning for me,” the moderator reveals with a smile and looks around. “I don’t have a chance at all.”
People of different ages from 15 nations came together in Düsseldorf to play against the common enemy: their Parkinson’s disease. In addition to Elstner, 199 other people suffering from Parkinson’s are taking part in the largest Germany-wide table tennis tournament organized by the voluntary association PingPongParkinson in Düsseldorf.
“When you get such a diagnosis from the doctor, you have two options. Either you despair or you fight. I decided to fight!”, says TV veteran Elstner. One possibility: playing table tennis. But how can sport help with a disease that damages nerve cells in the brain?
According to Georg Ebersbach, chief physician at the Beelitz-Heilstätten Parkinson’s Center in Brandenburg and member of the board of the Parkinson’s Foundation, many of the symptoms of the disease, such as muscle tremors, rigidity or a lack of movement, can be treated well with medication. So far, however, the disease has not been able to be stopped. It is therefore important to slow down the progression. This is exactly where playing table tennis is supposed to help – there have been few scientific studies on this so far.
According to Ebersbach, table tennis – similar to dancing or boxing – enables movements that are otherwise no longer possible for people with Parkinson’s disease in everyday life. In addition, there is the general training of endurance, concentration and reaction speed as well as the community experience when playing in a group, which counteracts the symptoms of the disease.
Patients report better motor skills
“Our survey showed that many players benefit from concentrated, fine-motor action at the table,” explains Timo Klein-Soetebier, head of the table tennis research department at the German Sport University in Cologne. “You can also see from a purely visual perspective that many players are less trembling during rallies and their motor skills are more fluid overall,” says Klein-Soetebier.
According to Klein-Soetebier, many Parkinson’s patients also report that they need less medication if they play table tennis regularly. So does Heike Schoven, who is taking part in the tournament alongside Elstner and is certain that sport not only reduces her symptoms, but also saved her from social isolation. Because in the first time after her diagnosis, she felt very lonely. Then she met Thorsten Boomhuis, who also had Parkinson’s.
Boomhuis had just returned from New York with the world title. There he took part in the first table tennis world championships for Parkinson’s sufferers in 2019 and not only brought home the title, but also the concept. At the beginning of 2020 he founded PingPongParkinson eV together with Harry Wißler. Today the association has over 1100 members at 170 bases, and the trend is growing.
“The aim is not to play off one another, but to try to keep the ball in play together,” explains Boomuis. The training is not only good for fitness, but also a self-help and exchange platform for many of those affected. However, there is a lack of support and funding.
Excitement is now mixed with joy in the hall in Düsseldorf. Frank Elstner now plays the balls looser. If a ball misses, that’s not bad at all. The focus of the event is a different message. “I want to set an example,” says Elstner. “People, exercise when you’re sick!”