A Comparative Case Analysis of Parkinson’s Disease Patients' Experience with Boxing for Exercise

Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disease, affecting about 10 million people worldwide. This case study aims to examine the different effects of boxing as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in men and women with the disease. There are two times as many men as there are women with Parkinson’s disease, and women are overlooked in many studies because of this. This study aims to understand how exercise affects women differently than men and to amplify their voices and experiences for the rest of the community to better assist them. Method. Four men and four women with Parkinson’s Disease were interviewed after classes at Rock Steady Boxing, and cross-case analysis was implemented to compare the results. Thirteen questions and sub-questions were asked, ranging from simple to thought-provoking and complex. Answers to questions were analyzed separately, in the male case and the female case, as well as together to compare the analyses. Results. Women appeared to reap physiological benefits of boxing, like increased confidence and decreased anxiety. Men and women alike reported the alleviation of some symptoms due to boxing. Discussion. This study allows the community to understand the many reasons why someone with PD may want to exercise, as it benefits both physical and mental health, making a progressive and debilitating disease more livable, improving quality of life in patients.